Rescue and paramedics work at the scene of a helicopter crash on the Hudson River near Manhattan, USA, as seen in Newport, New Jersey on April 10, 2025.
Eduardo Munoz | Reuters
New York Mayor Eric Adams said the helicopter crashed into the Hudson River from Manhattan on Thursday, with all six on board.
It has been the most deadly helicopter crash in the New York area for many years. The cause of the crash is under investigation, officials said. The helicopter was run by a “New York Helicopter,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tish said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
The New York Helicopters from Helicopter Tour Company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company offers tourist tours, which was scheduled for Thursday at 3pm, according to its website.
Some of the victims were family members who visited from Spain, officials said. Three adults and three children, including the pilot, were on the helicopter. Four people were declared dead at the scene, and two more died after being excluded from the scene.
The eyewitness video showed a helicopter swooping down into the river. Other videos posted on social media showed helicopters upside down on the Hudson River. Witnesses told NBC New York that they saw the helicopter lose its propeller and the aircraft’s nose was heading downwards.
The helicopter was the Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24.
The first responder walked along Pier 40 in New York on Thursday, April 10th, 2025 across from the helicopter down on the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jennifer Peltz | AP
The flight path provided the helicopter taking off from the helipad at the southeast tip of Manhattan, flying over the Hudson River to an altitude of about 1,100 feet, spinning near the George Washington Bridge, showing final contact in Hoboken, New Jersey, and about 15 minutes after takeoff, data from Flightradar24 were shown.
Helicopter flight records show both takeoff and landing from downtown Manhattan heliport several times in the past few days. Such routes are common on tourist helicopter tours.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the crash and said it was still gathering information. The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately comment.
“Please expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding area as helicopters crashed on the Hudson River near Westside Highway and Spring Street,” the NYPD said in a post on X.
Over the years there have been several helicopter crashes around Manhattan. In March 2018, a helicopter hired for a photo shoot collided with the East River, leaving the pilot surviving, killing five people on board.
In June 2019, a helicopter flying in thick fog collided with the top of a Manhattan office building, killing the pilot.
