New details have emerged about the final moments of the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon. The pilot of the doomed aircraft reportedly radioed about needing to refuel minutes before the crash, according to Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter Tour, the company that operated the helicopter.
"[The pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive," Roth told The Telegraph. Tragically, all six people on board—including five members of the same family—did not survive.
Roth, who reviewed video footage of the crash, noted that the helicopter’s main rotor blades were missing. "I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years in the helicopter business," he told the New York Post. "The only thing I could guess—I have no clue—is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I don’t know."
The five passengers have been identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubà Montal, a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three young children, according to The Associated Press. The pilot’s identity had not been released as of Friday morning.
Photos posted on the helicopter operator’s website showed the family smiling inside the aircraft moments before takeoff. The flight departed from a Downtown Manhattan heliport at approximately 3 p.m. and was in the air for about 18 minutes. Bystander footage captured the helicopter’s rotor detaching from the cabin as it plummeted into the water near Jersey City.
Authorities began receiving 911 calls about the crash around 3:17 p.m., New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before it hit the water.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the family was visiting from Spain, calling the tragedy "heartbreaking." "We had over 65 million people visit our city last year, and just think about it—you’re on vacation, you’re with your family, you want to experience New York from the sky, and something like this happens. It’s heartbreaking to everyone," Adams said.
Emergency personnel, including divers from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and New York City Police Department (NYPD), arrived at the scene within minutes. NYPD divers pulled four people from the wreckage, while the FDNY recovered two others. First responders attempted lifesaving efforts on a nearby pier, but four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and the others died at local hospitals.
The water temperature in the Hudson River at the time of the crash was in the mid-40s, according to FOX Weather. The U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers assisted in the investigation and debris recovery efforts, and the helicopter was salvaged hours later.
The crash occurred less than a mile from Manhattan and near the Holland Tunnel, which sees 15.8 million vehicles traveling between New York City and New Jersey annually. The Coast Guard implemented a safety zone around the Holland Tunnel and Hudson River, which remained in effect until 10 p.m. Thursday.
This was the first helicopter crash in New York City since 2019, when an aircraft struck the roof of a skyscraper, killing the pilot. "Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard," Adams said. "It’s almost reminiscent of the plane going down here on the Hudson River. Thank God we didn’t lose any lives back then. It’s still fresh and still new, the investigation is ongoing, and … the family members, we lift them up in prayer."
Roth and New York Helicopter Tours did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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