NEW YORK: The Spanish family killed when a New York sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River, leaving no survivors, were celebrating a birthday, a local official said on Friday.
A senior business executive, his wife and three children died along with the aircraft's pilot when the helicopter malfunctioned, disintegrating in mid-air before plunging into the cold waterway below Thursday. They'd taken the spectacular sight-seeing flight over Manhattan as a treat for the mother.
"The family flew out to extend the trip a couple days in NYC. They were celebrating the mom's 40th birthday with the tourist helicopter flight yesterday. The kids were all 11 years old and younger," said Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop.
A family member was flying in to recover their remains and officials were seeking to expedite the release of the bodies to be repatriated to Spain, he added on X.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were reportedly on site Friday with no conclusive report on the incident expected for months.
Images showed the cockpit of the passenger helicopter being lifted from the river by a barge crane overnight, and stored at a nearby Army Corps of Engineers site in Jersey City on the other side of the river from Manhattan, Fulop said.
Siemens confirmed that one of the victims was Agustin Escobar, the CEO of a unit under the global technology firm.
Reports suggested his wife Merce Camprubi was among the dead.
The bodies of all six victims, including the three children, were recovered from the water, Mayor Eric Adams told a briefing Thursday. He called it a "heartbreaking and tragic crash."
The aircraft's operator, said by officers to be New York Helicopter, had yet to comment or confirm the identity of its pilot.
Video of the incident has emerged showing the cockpit apparently becoming detached from the rotor with the disintegrating aircraft falling into the busy river below.
"It appears that the main rotor struck the body of the helicopter, cutting off the tail of the helicopter, which created an unrecoverable event," said former military aviator and attorney Jim Brauchle of Motley Rice. - AFP
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