Six people dies in New York passenger helicopter crash
Six people including three children are dead after a passenger helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The passengers included a pilot and a family visiting from Spain, he said.
The NYPD reported the crash at Pier 40 at 3:17 p.m. The helicopter is currently submerged in the river.
“Due to a helicopter crash in the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street, expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas,” the NYPD said earlier in a social media post.
FCNN gathered that the aircraft to be a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, based on ADS-B tracking data.
It was built in 2004 and had an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 that was good until 2029, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
The helicopter flew for about 16 minutes before going down into the water, according to analysis by FCNN.
The flight path shows the aircraft took off from lower Manhattan and did a circle near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge at about 1000 feet.
At that point it turned back south, ultimately coming to rest in the water near New Jersey.
The path up the Hudson is a popular sightseeing route.
When the helicopter crashed, it was cloudy with winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph according to various weather reports in the area.
Visibility at the surface was good 10 miles but it was cloudy as a system is moving into the region, bringing light rain to the region this afternoon and evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating the situation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide updates.
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“A Bell 206 helicopter crashed and is submerged in the Hudson River in New York City,” the FAA said in a statement.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
