THE helicopter tourist firm involved in the Hudson River crash that saw six people killed has closed down.
Pressure had been mounting on New York Helicopter Tours to pause flights in the aftermath of Thursday’s tragedy.
7
7
7
Siemens exec Agustin Escobar, his wife, their three children, and pilot all perished in the disaster.
New York Helicopter Tours had been in business for more than 30 years, but the Federal Aviation Administration officials revealed operations have now ended.
The agency also promised a probe into the tourist operator’s license and safety record, according to an X post.
“Safety is the FAA’s number one priority, and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public,” the agency said.
Michael Roth, the founder, revealed the FAA demanded the company to stop operating, per The New York Post.
Democratic politicians such as Chuck Schumer had urged New York Helicopter Tours to cease all flights.
It’s emerged that the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter, which the family were traveling on, didn’t have a recorder.
Transportation safety officials revealed the helicopter had last been inspected on March 1.
On Saturday, investigators revealed that no recording devices had been pulled from the wreckage, as per the National Transportation Safety Board.
“The helicopter was not equipped with any flight recorders,” officials said.
Investigators revealed that the helicopter’s main fuselage and vertical fin have been recovered.
Crews are still searching for the chopper’s main rotor, gearbox, and tail rotor.
Investigators have turned to sonar technology to identify parts of the wreckage.
NTSB crews have been seen examining the wreckage on the banks of the Hudson River.
7
What we know about the Hudson River helicopter crash
A devastating helicopter crash in New York City has claimed the lives of a family of five from Spain, turning what should have been a dream vacation into an unthinkable tragedy.
Here’s what we know about what happened on April 10, 2025:
Who were the victims?
• Agustin Escobar, Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, was on board with his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children.
• The family had just arrived in New York from Barcelona earlier that day.
• Merce worked as a global commercialization manager at Siemens Energy in Barcelona.
• The children were all of middle school age or younger.
• The pilot of the chopper, whose identity has not yet been released, was also killed.
What happened?
• The sightseeing helicopter, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, crashed into the Hudson River around 3:15 pm on Thursday.
• Witnesses say the chopper broke apart midair before plunging into the river.
• Four victims died at the scene, while two more were pronounced dead at the hospital.
Haunting final moments:
• Heartbreaking photos on the New York Helicopter Tours website show the family smiling in front of the chopper and strapped in for takeoff just moments before the crash.
Investigation underway:
• Authorities are still working to determine what caused the helicopter to break apart in midair.
The helicopter had carried out seven flights on Thursday before the accident.
Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children Augustin, 10, Mercedes, eight, and Victor, four, boarded what turned out to be the doomed flight – only hours after landing in New York.
The flight was an activity as part of one of their children’s birthday celebrations.
Navy SEAL veteran Sean Johnson, 36, was the pilot flying the helicopter.
Johnson’s family told Gothamist that he had recently moved to New York to continue his aviation career.
His devastated wife, Kathryn, revealed Johnson “always wanted to fly.”
Johnson had racked up 788 hours of flying time, according to the NTSB.
The helicopter spiralled out of control and splashed into the water around 15 minutes after taking off.
It left the Downtown Manhattan Heliport just before 3pm and headed toward the George Washington Bridge.
The helicopter then turned around before traveling down the Hudson River’s Jersey shoreline.
Then, the copter started to break apart and was missing its main rotor blade when it hit the water.
Social media footage went viral, showing the helicopter hurtling toward the water.
Witnesses said they heard the helicopter’s engine cutting out in the moments before it splashed into the Hudson.
“It sounded like, like an engine just dying,” Dominick Cognata told NBC News.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
In the aftermath of the crash, it emerged that New York Helicopter Charter was involved in a scare around 12 years ago.
In 2013, one of its helicopters made an emergency landing in the Hudson after losing power.
Four Swedish tourists were on board the aircraft and they were rushed to the hospital.
7
7
7
