Six people, including a family of five from Spain and their pilot, were killed Thursday afternoon after a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River near Jersey City. The aircraft, identified as a Bell 206, took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport just before 3 p.m. and went down less than 30 minutes later.
Authorities say the crash happened just before 3:30 p.m., with multiple witnesses reporting loud snapping noises and parts of the helicopter falling from the sky before it slammed into the water. When rescue crews arrived, the aircraft was overturned and partially submerged.
The victims included two adults and three children, all believed to be tourists from Spain, along with the pilot. Officials have not yet released their names.
The U.S. Coast Guard responded quickly and stopped vessel traffic in the area while emergency teams launched recovery efforts. Specialized crews worked through the evening to recover remains and assess wreckage. The FAA and NTSB are now investigating the cause of the crash.
Helicopter incidents in New York City are rare but not unprecedented. At least 32 people have died in similar accidents in the area since 1977. The most recent was in 2019, when a helicopter crashed onto the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper, killing the pilot.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
