Helicopter crash in the Hudson kills six
Photo courtesy of Konflikty.pl / Wikimedia Commons
A sightseeing helicopter tour across the Hudson River ended in tragedy after the vehicle crashed into the river, with all six passengers, including the pilot, passing away on Thursday, Apr. 10.
Video evidence shows the helicopter’s rotor blades detaching and eyewitnesses state the aircraft was out of control; they didn’t feel safe in the nearby area. The initial reason for the crash has not yet been determined. For now, officials have stated they are trying to collect time-sensitive biodegradable evidence from the crash site.
The victims identified were parents, Agustín Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal. Escobar was the President and CEO of Siemens Spain, a branch of the Germany-based tech conglomerate.
He had been in Jersey City for business and extended his trip when his family came to celebrate his wife’s fortieth birthday and daughter Mercedes’s ninth birthday on Friday, Apr. 11, as recorded by Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop. The other two children, four-year-old Victor and ten-year-old Agustin, also passed away in the crash.
The pilot, 36-year-old US Navy veteran Seankese Johnson, previously used his piloting skills to work in fighting fires based in Montana. In March of 2025, he moved to the city for “a new chapter,” as detailed by his father, Louis Johnson, when talking to the New York Times.
The helicopter was leased by the sightseeing tour company New York Helicopter and is now the third fatal crash in the New York City helicopter tourist industry within the last two decades.
While the company's CEO, Michael Roth, indicated he did not know what had happened to the helicopter once he rented it out from Louisiana, reports have indicated that the company has not been in the best financial condition. Roth has been known to sue very easily. In 2013, he sued a company for helping with the maintenance of one of Roth’s helicopters after an emergency landing had to take place, indicating they were to blame.
Incidents with the company started in 2013, as one helicopter tour almost crashed into the water after losing power, and in 2015, a helicopter went out of control before the tour even started.
In 2019, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and after the legal proceedings, few helicopters remained. One of the last helicopters in Roth’s possession, a Bell 206 L-4, had mechanical problems when it was looked at in September of 2024, but was not retired. This was the same helicopter that the Escobar family boarded and tragically passed away on.
Based on the dangers present with helicopter tours and their overall environmental impact, groups have been petitioning to stop these practices. One such organization is Stop the Chop NY-NJ, which was formed to ban nonessential helicopter flights over New York City, the Metropolitan area, and New Jersey. Andrew Rosenthal, the organization’s president, has gained support for the ban from New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and New York City Council member Gale Brewer.
While there has been some opposition to the ban, such as from the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, bills and legislation have been pushed forward for governmental intervention.