A tourist helicopter has broken apart in midair and crashed into the Hudson River in New York, killing a top Siemens executive, his wife and their three children.
The pilot was also said to have died the crash on Thursday, according to sources.
Agustin Escobar, an executive at German technology company Siemens, was among those killed, according to reports.
A haunting picture of the family has emerged. It was taken shortly before they took off on the doomed flight, which lasted less than 18 minutes before the aircraft started “falling apart” in the sky.
New York mayor Eric Adams said the flight began at a downtown heliport around 3pm, and the victims had been recovered and removed from the water.
Here is what we know so far.
What happened?
Six people have died after a tourist helicopter crashed during a flight in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon, which was during the evening in the UK.
Witness Bruce Wall said he saw the helicopter "falling apart" in midair, and the tail and propeller coming off. The propeller was still spinning without the aircraft as it fell, he said.
Dani Horbiak, a 29-year-old resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, said she witnessed the crash from her window while working from home.
“I looked out my window right here, and I saw the helicopter falling to pieces, and I watched multiple pieces splashed down into the river below, and I was wondering what happened,” she told Reuters.
Divers helped remove the victims from the water. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were taken to area hospitals, where they died.
Where?
The Bell 206 chopper, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, departed at about 3pm ET (8pm BST) from a downtown helicopter pad and flew north over the Hudson River, New York.
It turned south when it reached the George Washington Bridge and crashed minutes later, hitting the water upside down and sinking near Lower Manhattan about 3.15pm, just off Hoboken, New Jersey.
Who was on board?
The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montall, a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children, in addition to the pilot. The children were four, five and 11.
Photos posted on the helicopter company's website showed the couple and their children smiling as they boarded just before the flight took off.
Mr Escobar worked for Siemens for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, according to his LinkedIn account.
In late 2022 he briefly became president and CEO of Siemens Spain. In a post about the position, he thanked his family: “My endless source of energy and happiness, for their unconditional support, love … and patience”.
Escobar regularly posted about the importance of sustainability in the rail industry and often travelled internationally for work, including journeying to India and the UK in the past month.
He also was vice-president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain from 2023.
Ms Montal worked in Barcelona, Spain, for energy technology company Siemens Energy for about seven years, including as its global commercialisation manager and as a digitalisation manager, according to her LinkedIn account.
What have officials said?
The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, confirmed the initial details of the incident.
Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said the tour helicopter was in a Special Flight Rules Area established in New York, which means no air traffic control services were being provided when it crashed.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as a Bell 206, a model widely used in commercial and government aviation, including by sightseeing companies, TV news stations and police. It was initially developed for the US Army before being adapted for other uses. Thousands have been manufactured over the years.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said it would investigate.
New York Helicopter Tours, which offers sightseeing flights from $114 per person on its website, did not respond immediately to a request for comment about the crash.
Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network: “Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!”
