Credit: New York Helicopter Tours LLC & X
Pilot’s Final Words Revealed After Helicopter ‘Split In Half’ Mid-Flight Killing Everyone On Board
The chilling final words of the pilot flying the helicopter that crashed into New York City’s Hudson River have been revealed.
On Thursday afternoon, a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River across from Manhattan.
Officials announced that all six people aboard were killed, including three children, making the incident the deadliest helicopter crash in the city in the last seven years.
The victims have been confirmed as a Spanish family: the Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, Agustín Escobar; his wife, Mercè Camprubí; and their children, who were 11, five, and four – they were reportedly celebrating one of their birthdays.
The Spanish family posed for photos in front of the aircraft, beaming with excitement before the gut-wrenching disaster occurred.
At the time of writing, the pilot’s identity has not been made public.
Tragic video footage shows the helicopter spiraling in mid-air before crashing into the water just off Jersey City, N.J., at high speed.
Eyewitnesses say they heard a loud bang and reported that the aircraft hit the water without at least one of its rotor blades.
Lesly Camacho, a worker at a restaurant along the river, said she witnessed the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before it slammed into the water.
“There was a bunch of smoke coming out. It was spinning pretty fast, and it landed in the water really hard,” she recalled.
New York Police commissioner Jessica Tisch said divers recovered all those on board from the helicopter, which was upside down in the water.
Tisch stated: “Four victims were pronounced dead on scene, and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where sadly both succumbed to their injuries.”
The Bell 206 helicopter was a tourist attraction, running a sightseeing adventure around New York City.
The helicopter took off from the Wall Street Heliport and circled close to the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River.
Just 16 minutes into the flight, tragedy struck.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, offered his condolences to the family and friends aboard.
In a message posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), he wrote: “We have had devastating news about the helicopter accident in the River Hudson.
“Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, lost their lives along with the pilot. It’s an unimaginable tragedy. I share the pain of the victims’ loved ones in this heartbreaking moment.”
The company’s chief executive, Michael Roth, said the aircraft was leased from a company in Louisiana and was unsure how the helicopter could split apart in the air.
Roth confirmed the aircraft was out of fuel just minutes into the trip and revealed the last radio call made by the pilot.
“He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth told The Telegraph.
The company’s chief executive also said he began receiving calls from other pilots flying over the Hudson River reporting ‘the helicopter upside down.’
Roth shared: “We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying. The death of the child of any human being is a monumental disaster.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently leading the investigation into the crash.
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