Everything we know about helicopter that crashed mid-flight into Hudson River killing family-of-five and pilot

This is everything we know so far about the helicopter that fatally crashed into the Hudson River.

At around 3.15pm ET on Thursday (April 10), a chopper crashed into the New York river, close to Jersey City, claiming the lives of all six people on board.

The bodies of five tourists and a pilot have all been pulled from the wreckage of the aircraft, a Bell 06L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said a Spanish family-of-five with three young children are among the dead.

Parents, Agustín Escobar and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal and their children, aged four, five and 11, as per the BBC, have been identified as the deceased.

The pilot, who is yet to be identified, also died in the collision.

Adams described the incident as 'heartbreaking and tragic', adding: "Our hearts go out to the families."

Helicopter operated in tour company and completed other trips before crash

The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters which provides sky tours of the city, departed from Downtown Skyport on the lower side of Manhattan at 2.59pm ET and had completed nine other short journeys that day, according to FlightAware data.

The Bell 206 is frequently used by sightseeing tour providers, as well as television stations and police departments.

It is believed the helicopter was in the air for 15 minutes before the crash, having flown over Governor’s Island and near the Statue of Liberty before travelling up the Hudson River on the New York side.

It turned around near the George Washington Bridge and flew along the Jersey City shoreline where it apparently got into difficulty.

Helicopter 'lost control' on route

Video footage of the tragic incident shows the chopper landed upside down in the water near Manhattan's West Side Highway and Spring Street.

Witnesses claim the chopper's tail and rotors had become detached from the aircraft 'mid air' as it plunged from the sky into the river below.

One person said they heard the helicopter 'splitting in two' in a sound that was 'like a sonic boom' while Jersey City resident Ipsitaa Banigrhi said the crash sounded like thunder and saw 'black particles flying'.

NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a news briefing that the aircraft 'lost control and hit the water' and was upside down when it careered into the river.

The rescue mission and search for life

Emergency services were called out at 3.17pm with rescue boats launched immediately, according to New York Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker.

Tucker confirmed that swimmers and rescuers went out to the partially submerged aircraft in search of survivors and initiated 'immediate life-saving measures'.

Officials say four of the crash victims were pronounced dead at the scene while two others were taken to a nearby hospital where they were declared dead.

Pilot 'radioed to refuel'

Michael Roth, the CEO of the New York Helicopter Charter Inc, told The Telegraph that the pilot had radioed the base to say the group were returning to the helipad for fuel but never made it.

"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 said.

The 71-year-old added: "We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying.

"I got a call from my manager and my downtown heliport and she said she heard there was a crash, and then my phone blew up from everybody.

"Then one of my pilots flew over the Hudson and saw the helicopter upside down.

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

'Machines break'

The CEO also told the Wall Street Journal he had 'no clue' how the tragedy happened but that helicopters can 'break'.

"The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter," Roth said.

He added that he had not seen such a thing happen during his three decades in the business, but noted: "These are machines, and they break."

Investigation into the crash

Officials are still pulling the wreckage from the waters in Manhattan and have confirmed that an investigation into how the two-bladed chopper crashed has been launched.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the investigation will be led by the National Transportation Safety Board.

President Donald Trump comments on crash

President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform, where he described the crash as 'horrendous'.

The POTUS wrote: "Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us.

"The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it.

"Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!"