Deadly Hudson River helicopter crash: 17-member NTSB team begins probe

A 17-person team from the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Thursday's crash of a sightseeing helicopter into the Hudson River that killed a family of five from Spain and the pilot, with the immediate focus on recovering the aircraft's rotors, main transmission, roof and tail structures, agency Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.

Less than 24 hours after the single-engine, seven-seat aircraft operated by New York Helicopter plunged into the river across from New York City, investigators began searching for answers.

The investigation, Homendy said at a news conference Friday afternoon, will include a deep dive into any potential mechanical issues, the qualifications of the pilot, the safety record of the operator and owner, air travel conditions and reports, still unconfirmed, that a flock of birds could have been involved in the accident.

"Everything is on the table," Homendy said in response to a question from Newsday. "We don’t rule anything out."

A preliminary NTSB report is expected in 30 days while the full report could take one to two years.

The 17-person team, she said, includes 10 investigators who will be supported by other experts with experience in operations, evidence and air worthiness.

Victims identified

The crash killed a family of five, including two adults and three children, visiting from Spain.

They were identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar Canadas, 49; his wife, Mercè Camprubi Montal, 39, who also worked for the company; and their children: 10-year-old Agustin Escobar Camprubi, 8-year-old Mercedes Escobar Camprubi and 4-year-old Victor Escobar Camprubi.

The father was in town for a business trip, while the family joined him to celebrate the mother's upcoming 40th birthday and the birthday of Mercedes, who would have turned 9 on Friday, said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.

Escobar was global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. Before he took this role in October 2024, he was CEO Siemens Spain and Siemens Mobility Spain, the company said in a statement.

The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who recently moved to the city.

Kathryn Johnson, the pilot's wife, told Newsday she was too devastated to talk Friday.

Homendy said Johnson had 788 hours of total flight time and that the NTSB had collected the pilot's log book.

Wreckage recovery

Video of the crash shows the helicopter plunging upside down toward the river with its top propellers no longer spinning. The video also appears to show a piece of the helicopter flying off the aircraft before it crashes into the Hudson near Pier 40 at West Houston Street.

Homendy asked for anyone with information or video of the crash to contact them at witness@ntsb.gov.

Just after 8 p.m. Thursday, crews pulled the heavily damaged Bell 206-L4 Rotorcraft from the river.

As NYPD divers continued to look for helicopter components they faced difficult conditions, including a 75-foot debris field and murky water on Friday, said Greg Kierce, head of Jersey City's Office of Emergency Management.

"You literally can’t see your hand in front of you," he said of the conditions.

NYPD divers Thursday pulled four occupants from the river, while FDNY divers pulled out another two, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said Friday that two people from the crash were removed to the hospital but couldn’t confirm if they were alive or dead at the time.

"Our firefighters were in the water, almost immediately. We were joined by the NYPD, very quickly, and unfortunately, the results weren't great," he said.

Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Medical personnel pronounced the other two victims dead at a hospital.

"The federal government and NTSB and other federal agencies are working closely with New Jersey authorities to investigate this crash, and we're gonna let them do their job," Tucker said.

Mayor Eric Adams, in an interview with Fox 5 Friday, said he did not support eliminating helicopter tours over the city.

"That is part of the attractions of businesses being in the city, people coming into the city, seeing the city from the air, as part of this attraction," he said. "What we must do is make sure it's safe. Make sure it's done correctly. And make sure that all proper maintenance is put in place. And so I'm not looking to stop or advocate to stop it from happening."

Two previous company crashes

The NTSB's aviation accident database, which lists all civil aviation accidents in the United States dating back to 1962, shows two prior accidents involving New York Helicopter.

One incident, on May 20, 2015, involved a helicopter that was "substantially damaged during a hard landing" in New Jersey. There were no injuries, and the NTSB attributed the likely cause of the incident to maintenance failure.

In 2013, a New York Helicopter charter was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after the aircraft experienced engine failure, the NTSB report said. There were no injuries. 

Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter, told Newsday Thursday: "I’ve been in this business 30 years. I’m devastated because all the lives, especially children. I’m a father and a grandfather, and we would never do anything to jeopardize anyone ... I don’t want to make any assumptions, but you have to remember: It’s a machine. Sometimes machines break."

The helicopter was registered to Meridian Helicopters, based in Louisiana. According to an online FAA registry, the aircraft was manufactured in 2004.

Tisch said the helicopter took off from the downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m., flew south, then turned to fly north along the Manhattan shoreline of the Hudson.

At 3:08 p.m. the helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge, then tried to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline, she said.

Shortly after, the aircraft lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the coast of Pier A Park in Hoboken, she said. 

In a post Thursday on X, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the "tour helicopter was in the Special Flight Rules Area established in New York which means no air traffic control services were being provided when the helicopter crashed."

The FAA, Duffy said, sent investigators to the site and also launched a safety review team.