A helicopter plunged into the Hudson River off of Manhattan Thursday afternoon, killing all of those aboard.
Six people died in the crash, according to WABC-TV, which reported that the chopper was carrying a family of Spanish tourists when it went down.
Two adults and three children from the family were killed, along with the pilot.
WABC quoted a witness it did not name as saying he “thought it was a sonic boom or something” when he heard a noise that preceded the crash.
Video showed the chopper hitting the water.
WARNING: The following social media posts contain images of an air disaster and may be disturbing to some viewers.
Hudson River Helicopter crash @fox5ny @ABC7 @NBCNewYork @CBSNewYork @njdotcom @News12NJ @CNN @cnnbrk
Credit: Bruce Wall pic.twitter.com/CVy249wApx
— SangriaUltra (@xpertcommander) April 10, 2025
Witness Bruce Wall said the helicopter was “falling apart” in midair with the tail rotor separated from the main part of the helicopter, according to WNBC-TV.
Have you ever been on a helicopter?
“I heard a loud snap … I looked over … and I could see a helicopter falling on its side and splash into the water,” an unnamed witness quoted by WABC said.
“I was in shock,” another witness said.
“I watched it fall out of the sky! 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,” Dani Horbiak, who watched the disaster from her apartment window, said.
The FAA indicated the chopper was a Bell 206 that took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m.
Hudson River Helicopter Crash video shows that the rotor blades were fully detached from the fuselage but still spinning. This likely was NOT engine failure. pic.twitter.com/uomJlEt7n7
— Box Cat DGAF (@cgraft) April 10, 2025
Witness Eric Campoverde said the helicopter fell at a 45-degree angle, according to the New York Post.
“It was going fast. It fell in seconds, like the motor lost power. It took seconds to fall from the sky,” he said
“After the splash, the helicopter was above the water for a slight second but it submerged very quickly. It was maybe on top of the water for three or four seconds before it went under. It was fast,” he said.
Helicopter crashing into Hudson River. You can see the propellers falling. So sad … pic.twitter.com/6C6aWsS4Ay
— dinoshan (@dinoshanr) April 10, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
Mandy Bowlin said she and her 15-year-old daughter were on a Circle Line boat touring Manhattan when they heard a noise in the sky, according to The New York Times.
She said the propeller flew off before the chopper went down, and she feared debris would hit their boat.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
