Mathias Busekist
It took the lives of six individuals, including three children.
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A tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River on April 10, 2025, claimed the lives of six individuals, including a Spanish family of five and their pilot.
The Bell 206 L-4 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter, was on its eighth sightseeing flight of the day when it plunged into the river.
The victims were identified as Agustin Escobar, a Siemens executive; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal; and their three children, aged 4, 8, and 10. The family was visiting New York to celebrate a birthday and extend Escobar’s work trip. The pilot, 36-year-old Navy veteran Sean Johnson, also perished in the crash.
The helicopter reportedly lost both its main and tail rotors before crashing, and while much of the wreckage has been recovered, the main rotor blades remain missing.
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Since the crash, investigations into the fatal accident have been initiated, and already some alarming news has come to light.
According to New York Post, the aircraft lacked a key piece of equiptment, as it didn’t have a flight recorder, which complicates the investigation into the cause of the accident.
The helicopter had undergone its last major inspection on March 1, 2025, and was built in 2004. It had previously experienced transmission issues, and the FAA had issued safety recalls for the Bell 206L model in April 2023.
The aircraft was not equipped with any flight recorders or onboard video or audio recording devices, which hinders the National Transportation Safety Board’s efforts to determine the exact cause of the crash.
As the investigation continues, the NTSB is transporting recovered components of the helicopter to its laboratories in Washington, D.C., for further analysis.
