Helicopter owner breaks silence over NYC Hudson River crash that killed six people

Six people were killed in a tourist helicopter crash in New York yesterday (10 April), as the owner suggests he's 'never seen anything like it'.

A Spanish family of five and their pilot have been killed, after a helicopter suddenly crashed into the Hudson River, after taking off at 2.59pm local time (7.59pm BST) on Thursday.

Footage of the tragic incident shows the aircraft falling out of the sky upside down, before tragically landing in the river.

City Mayor Eric Adams has said his 'heart goes out' to the families of the victims, as the crash is currently under investigation.

The Spanish tourists lived in Barcelona, and their children, aged four, five and 11, were also onboard.

Witnesses have said the aircraft split in half mid-air, before crashing into the water (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Michael Roth, 71, owner of the aircraft, has stated that the pilot had radioed to say they were returning to the helipad, but failed to arrive.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: "He [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."

Speaking of his devastation, he added: "We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying.

"The death of the child of any human being, is a monumental disaster."

But the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, couldn't fathom how the crash had occurred.

The victims include a family of five and the helicopter pilot (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

He told the New York Post: "The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter."

Helplessly, he added: "And I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business.

"The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don’t know."

He also gave tourists visiting the city a stark warning.

"But you gotta remember something, these are machines and they break," he said.

"I’m a father and a grandfather and to have children on there, I’m devastated."

FDNY officials report that the Bell 206 Chopper split in half, and landed in the water around Pier 40 on West Houston Street and West Street.

Witnesses to the fatal crash recall seeing the chopper break apart in mid air, and heard a 'loud crash' as it nosedived into the river.

While divers managed to retrieve four people from the river, two of which were still alive at the time, they later died from their severe injuries in hospital.