Helicopter Crashes In Hudson River (Updated)

New images from the crash of a chartered helicopter in New York on Thursday show the main rotor assembly detached from the fuselage high above the Hudson River. Six people died in the crash, including a family of five from Spain and the pilot. The sightseeing flight was part of a birthday celebration for one of the children on the aircraft.

It was a senior executive with European technology company Siemens, his wife and three young children who have been identified as the passengers who died when a chartered helicopter crashed in the Hudson River off New Jersey on Thursday. Agustin Escobar, the head of Siemens' Spanish operations, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children aged 4, 5 and 11 years old were killed along with the 36-year-old pilot, who has not been identified.

Emergency reports of the downed aircraft came in shortly after 3 p.m., with officials confirming fatalities. All individuals were recovered from the 50-degree waters.

According to Flightradar24, based on ADS-B data and the location of search-and-rescue (SAR) activity, the aircraft involved was likely a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV. Footage of the incident has since begun circulating on X.

Rescue teams from the NYPD, Jersey City, FDNY and other agencies quickly responded to the scene. The Coast Guard also announced it had suspended boat traffic in the area to support the rescue efforts.