Six People Died In Helicopter Accident In New York Hudson River

Data on the helicopter flight that crashed on the Hudson River, New York. (Twitter/@flightradar24)

Six people were killed, including three children, when a tour helicopter crashed on the Hudson River, New York, United States on Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams said.

The victims are believed to include families from Spain and their pilots, the mayor said at a briefing.

The crash video shows what looks like a large object falling into the river, followed a few seconds later by what looks like a helicopter propeller. After that, the emergency boat and police were seen circling around a piece of river where the helicopter sank, with just what appeared to be the landing wheel of the plane sticking above the surface of the water.

The Bell 206 helicopter, operated by the New York Helicopter Tours, departed at around 3pm from the helicopter pad in the city center and flew north over the Hudson River, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

The plane turned south as it reached the George Washington Bridge and crashed minutes later, hitting water in a reversed position and sinking near Lower Manhattan at around 3:15 p.m. local time, not far from Hoboken, New Jersey, Tisch added.

Divers helped get the victim, pilot, two adults and three children out of water. Four people were declared dead at the scene, while the other two were taken to hospital before dying there.

A New York City Police spokesman said police ships had assisted in rescue efforts on Thursday.

The airspace around Manhattan is filled with helicopters offering tourists views from above, with at least two dozen operators listed on the Viator website. Many operators also offer helicopter delivery services to regional airports.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct an investigation, with the NTSB leading the investigation.

New York City has a history of accidents involving helicopters. In 2018, five passengers in the helicopter died while falling into the East River, while the pilot survived. The helicopter is on a chartered flight that has an open door so passengers can take photos of the horizon.

The safety of helicopters itself has been a topic of discussion at the US Congress, after 67 people died in an accident between the American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter on January 29 near Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.

The FAA has since permanently restricted helicopter traffic near airports and is reviewing helicopter operations near other major airports.