Hudson River crash: What exactly happened?
Six people, including three children, were killed after a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday (Apr 10). The crash killed all those onboard the aircraft: the pilot and a family from Spain.
“At this time, all six victims have been removed from the water. And sadly, all six victims have been pronounced deceased,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a briefing.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump expressed his condolences on the social media platform Truth Social. He wrote, “Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us. The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims.”
“Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!” Trump added.
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Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.
VIDEO: Trigger warning, sensitive content
New York City Mayor Eric Adams says a family of Spanish tourists, including three children, died Thursday in a helicopter crash in the Hudson River that killed six people. pic.twitter.com/07y6jRwQqf
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 10, 2025
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Who is the prime suspect in the Hudson River crash?
A video shared on social media showed that the rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage, however, they were still spinning, which suggests that it was not engine failure.
A witness told NBC News that the chopper blade just “flew off”. “I don’t know what happened to the tail, but it just straight-up dropped. It dropped feet away from Holland Tunnel, and I can’t imagine if it hit it,” said Avi Rakesh.
Some social media users suspected that the weather was responsible. As mentioned by local reports, a weather station revealed that winds of 9 to 12 mph were coming from the south and southeast, with occasional gusts up to 21 mph when the accident happened.
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The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration was reporting at the time of the flight and the crash as it said that the visibility was good up to 10 miles.
There had been light rain in the area, but not at the time of the flight or the crash. It also noted that the cloud ceiling was 7,000 feet. According to data on FlightAware, the altitude of the aircraft was a little more than 1,000 feet at its highest.
Overall, the weather in New York on Thursday was gusty under thick cloud cover, with the NBC4 channel reporting that its own helicopter was unable to take off because of weather conditions.
So far, the official cause of the crash remains unknown and is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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Where did the helicopter crash?
The helicopter took off from the Wall Street heliport at 2:59 pm (local time). After that, it travelled along the southern part of Manhattan and circled the Statue of Liberty. It flew up the western side of Manhattan and turned around near the George Washington Bridge. When it turned south along the New Jersey shoreline, it crashed after 3:00 pm.
Who were the victims of the Hudson River crash?
The identities of the victims have not been revealed as the
New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, “Names are being withheld at this time, pending family notification.”
But a report by PEOPLE mentioned that the victims have been identified. Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish branch of the technology company Siemens, his wife and their three children were killed, a city official told the magazine. The pilot was also killed, but his identity has not been revealed yet. The family reportedly arrived from Barcelona on Thursday.
🚨🚨 – The Victims of the Hudson River helicopter crash have been identified as Siemens Spain CEO Agustin Escobar, his wife, and their three children. The family arrived from Barcelona Thursday. pic.twitter.com/yvhafAyl4N
— Based News Report (@BasedNewsReport) April 11, 2025
Could the pilot have prevented the ‘tragic’ crash?
Eric Adams said it was a “heartbreaking and tragic crash”, but many on social media asked if the pilot could have prevented it.
As quoted by The Associated Press, Justin Green, an aviation lawyer who was a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps, said that the video of the crash suggested that a “catastrophic mechanical failure” left the pilot with no chance to save the helicopter.
He said that it is possible the helicopter’s main rotors struck the tail boom, breaking it apart and causing the cabin to free-fall.
“They were dead as soon as whatever happened happened. There’s no indication they had any control over the craft. No pilot could have prevented that accident once they lost the lifts. It’s like a rock falling to the ground. It’s heartbreaking,” Green added.
(With inputs from agencies)