A helicopter crashed in the Hudson River in New York City, police officials said Thursday, and the six people onboard, including five passengers and a pilot, died in the crash, multiple outlets reported.
Rescue boats are seen in Hoboken, New Jersey, after a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on ... More
The New York Police Department said in a post on X just before 3:40 p.m. EDT the crash was “in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street” and said people can “expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas.”
Six people—five passengers, some of whom are believed to be from Spain, and the pilot—were killed in the crash, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reportedly said in a statement to The New York Times
The fire department received a report of a helicopter—later identified as a Bell 206 helicopter— in the water at 3:17 p.m. EDT and has units on scene for rescue operations, the New York Fire Department told Forbes.
The Federal Aviation Association said in a statement at 4:30 p.m. EDT that it and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
Forbes reached out to the New York Police Department for more information.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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Officials have not yet given information on how many people were on board or what kind of helicopter it was. The New York Times, which reported six people aboard, noted there are often tourist helicopters flying over the river taking tourists through Lower Manhattan and New Jersey.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement on X he is closely monitoring the crash and confirmed the National Transportation Safety Board is on its way to NYC. In the statement, he said, “I’m praying for all those impacted and for our brave first responders on the scene. We have to fight for safety in the air.” New York City Mayor Eric Adams also posted a statement to X, saying the crash was “heartbreaking and tragic” and asking people to avoid the area near Pier 40 in Manhattan. Hochul said on X she was “briefed on this horrific crash” and joins “all New Yorkers in praying for those we've lost and their families.”
New York City has seen a number of helicopter crashes in recent decades, with incidents killing at least 32 people from 1977 to 2019, the Associated Press reported. In 2018, a private charter helicopter crashed in New York’s East River and killed all five passengers onboard, though the pilot survived. In the years after the crash, the NTSB determined the cause of the crash was that “a tether from a safety harness worn by a passenger in the front seat got caught on a floor-mounted fuel lever.” In 2019, there were two helicopter crashes in New York City, one of which was fatal, according to the AP.
Helicopter crashes into the Hudson River near Jersey City (CBS)
NYPD responding to helicopter in Hudson River (ABC7 New York)