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Topics: US News, World News
Mia Williams
Topics: US News, World News
A family of five and their pilot have died following a helicopter failure in New York, which resulted in the aircraft plummeting into the Hudson River - here's everything we know about the fatal crash.
The Spanish family of two adults and three children have now been identified, following the tragic incident on Thursday afternoon (10 April).
Reports suggest that the family were in the air for just 15 minutes after take off, before witnesses recall hearing a 'loud crash', as they watched the aircraft split in two and nosedive into the water.
City Mayor Eric Adams has said his 'heart goes out' to the families of victims, as the crash is currently under investigation.
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Here's everything we know so far about the tragic crash.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has released some details about the journey the family was taking.
The tour was being ran by New York Helicopter Tours, and the family were pictured smiling outside of the aircraft just before takeoff.
It has been reported that the helicopter took off from Downtown Skyport on the lower side of Manhattan, at 2.59pm local time (7.59pm BST).
The tour headed towards the Statue of Liberty and then north towards the famous George Washington Bridge.
As it travelled back down the Hudson River, approximately 15 minutes into the tour, the helicopter plunged into the water near a pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, at 3.15pm local time.
Six people in total were onboard the aircraft, including the young family of five and their pilot.
The New York Times have released the identities of the victims, which included Agustín Escobar, the chief executive for rail infrastructure for the technology company Siemens, his three children and his wife.
His wife has been identified as Merce Camprubi Montal, who was a global manager at an energy technology company.
The children were aged four, five and 11.
Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others were rushed to hospital, but later died of their severe injuries.
While the crash is currently under investigation, CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth, has spoken out.
The 71-year-old 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."
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."
However, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has suggested that 'the aircraft lost control'.