15 local time. All six passengers, including the pilot and a Siemens manager with his family, lost their lives in the incident.
Emergency services from the New York and New Jersey fire departments and police forces responded immediately to the crash and deployed several boats to the scene. Four of the victims died at the site, while the other two were taken to nearby hospitals, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
According to initial reports, the family had only been in the city for a few hours and had booked the helicopter tour as a tourist attraction. The helicopter had been in the air for approximately 17 minutes after taking off from the heliport in Wall Street when the crash occurred.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Eyewitnesses reported that the helicopter began to spin out of control in mid-air before crashing into the river at high speed. One witness claimed that a rotor blade had broken off during the flight, while another suggested that a bird strike may have been the cause. Videos of the crash have been circulating on social media.
The owner of the helicopter company confirmed that the pilot had requested an emergency landing shortly before the crash. It is being investigated whether a fuel shortage or a technical malfunction played a role.
Helicopter operations in New York City
Helicopter flights are an integral part of the cityscape in New York. They are used for both tourist sightseeing tours and business transportation. In the past, there have been several accidents, leading to debates about safety standards in the area.
The city government had already taken measures in 2016 to reduce the number of flights, but the safety situation remains controversial. Experts are now calling for stricter regulations for air traffic over the metropolis.
US President Donald Trump commented on the accident on the Truth Social platform, saying: “The footage is horrifying. Further details on the cause will follow shortly.”
The crash serves as a reminder of past incidents in the region. In 2019, a pilot had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River, but managed to escape. The most dramatic incident occurred in 2009, when a US Airways passenger plane successfully landed on the river after a bird strike, with all passengers surviving.