The helicopter floating in the Hudson River, surrounded by emergency marine services. Credit: X, @hernandezlg
A tragic helicopter crash in New York City’s Hudson River has left six people dead, including three children.
The Bell 206 helicopter plunged into the river near Jersey City today, March 10, after a brief flight around Manhattan, according to reports.
All six onboard – the pilot, two adults, and three children – were killed in the crash. Law enforcement sources confirmed the passengers were tourists from Spain.
Helicopter seen “falling from the sky” by horrified witnesses
The crash reportedly occurred at approximately 3:15 pm local time, just 15 minutes after the helicopter took off from Lower Manhattan.
“I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river,” said Dani Horbiak to ABC News.
“Big splash – it was very scary,” recalled Eric Campoverde, who witnessed the helicopter descend at a steep angle.
“It sounded like a sonic boom,” a witness told New York’s WABC, describing how the “helicopter split in two with the rotor flying off.”
The helicopter was reportedly on its sixth flight of the day and registered to Louisiana-based Meridian Helicopters.
According to CBS News, the flight path shows the chopper departed from Lower Manhattan, flew over Governor’s Island and past the Statue of Liberty, continued north up Manhattan’s West Side, then looped back down the Jersey side of the river before crashing near Jersey City.
Photos and footage on social media showed the aircraft mostly submerged and upside down in the water.
Not the first crash in the Hudson River
Today’s tragedy follows a series of previous aviation incidents over the Hudson River. In 2019, a helicopter crashed after refuelling, with the pilot surviving. A 2016 vintage plane crash killed the pilot during a flyover. The most well-known event remains the 2009 ‘Miracle on the Hudson,’ when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger safely landed a plane after a bird strike, saving 155 people. Another helicopter crash occurred back in January this year at Washington’s Reagan Airport.
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