Six Lives Lost as Helicopter Plummets in Pieces into New York’s Hudson River (VIDEO) – Twitchy

It was a horrifying scene captured on video Thursday in New York City as a helicopter, its propeller, and tail section came crashing separately into the waters of the Hudson River. Six lives were lost – a pilot and a family of five visiting from Spain.

Here are more details. (READ)

Agustin Escobar, President and CEO of Siemens in Spain, along with his wife and their three children, were identified as the victims of the helicopter that plunged into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, according to the New York Post.

The New York Helicopter Tours website featured a photo of the family of five posing in front of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter.

Law enforcement reported that the family had arrived in Manhattan from Barcelona earlier that day.

The pilot’s identity remains unknown, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Here is the video of the crash and pics of the victims. (WATCH)

BREAKING: Agustin Escobar, President and CEO of Siemens in Spain, along with his wife and their three children, were identified as the victims of the helicopter that plunged into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, according to the New York Post.

The New York… pic.twitter.com/cGOiJWGFAx

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) April 11, 2025

Here is a different video of the crash showing another part of the helicopter hitting the water. (WATCH)

Dear God

The rotor came off this helicopter

There was nothing the pilot could do after that

Maintenance history will be a key part of this investigation

A family was reportedly onboard doing an aerial tour

Just awful 😢

pic.twitter.com/uU1IGJmpXE

— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) April 10, 2025

In the second video (when magnified) we see that the tail also came off.
The tail is already in the water in the first video.
(The two videos occurred in opposite sequence.)

— Kenneth A. Grimm ن “K. A. G. Sundaram” (@kagsundaram) April 10, 2025

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The accident only made some commenters even more wary of helicopters.

Nope never doing those helicopter tours anywhere. Not NY, not Vegas, not Orlando, not anywhere. Helicopters are so unsafe. It’s like the motorcycle of the sky.

— CryptoAcid (💙,🧡)🦇🔊 (@CryptoAcid) April 11, 2025

It’s actual tons of flying metal with gyrating, 500lb blades spinning at hundreds of revolutions per minute that is maintained about as well as a mobile carnival attraction and is complex to operate. Doesn’t seem safe.

— Fidel Cashflow (@SkemmyShark) April 11, 2025

Should anything go wrong they have the flight characteristics of a falling safe.

— Venger (@sinlessgrins) April 11, 2025

The opinion of flight paramedics I know is, helicopter is the most dangerous air vehicle you can ride in

— VaxInjuredRN🇺🇸⚕️ (@LK_ERnurse) April 11, 2025

The pilot’s identity has not been revealed. It’s unknown at this time if this was some sort of pilot error or mechanical malfunction. The crash is under investigation.