Pilot warned he ‘needed fuel’ in radio call before helicopter crashed into Hudson River killing six people
The helicopter pilot who crashed into the Hudson River, killing six individuals, allegedly informed the base that the aircraft needed fuel. On Thursday (April 10) around 3:15pm ET, a helicopter fell into the New York river near Jersey City, resulting in the deaths of a tourist family and the pilot. All six passengers have been confirmed dead, including a Spanish family of five—parents Agustín Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal with their three young children—and the pilot. The family was on a sightseeing excursion. Emergency crews responded to the accident less than 20 minutes after the helicopter departed from a downtown Manhattan Skyport at approximately 3pm.
Michael Roth, 71, the helicopter owner, told The Telegraph that the still-unidentified pilot had radioed to announce they were returning to the helipad but never arrived.
"The pilot called to say he was landing and needed fuel. The trip should have taken about three minutes, but after 20 minutes, he hadn't arrived," Roth explained.
"Everyone in our company feels devastated. My wife continues to cry," he added. "My manager at the downtown heliport called about a crash, then my phone was flooded with calls. One of my pilots flew over the Hudson and saw the helicopter upside down. The death of any child is a terrible tragedy."
He also told the Wall Street Journal he had "no idea" how the accident occurred.
"From watching video of the falling helicopter, I noticed the main rotor blades were not on the aircraft," Roth said. He mentioned he hadn't seen such an incident during his 30 years in the industry, but added: "These are machines, and they break."
NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch stated in a news briefing that the aircraft "lost control and hit the water." The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter, registered as N216MH with the Federal Aviation Administration, had completed nine other brief trips from Lower Manhattan that Thursday, according to FlightAware information reported by the BBC.
Disturbing video footage on social media appears to show the helicopter's tail and rotors had detached before the aircraft plunged toward the water. A witness described to ABC News how they heard the accident happen before seeing its aftermath.
"It sounded like a thunderclap, so I looked skyward and actually witnessed the helicopter breaking apart, with the rotor separating and flying through the air at high speed before the aircraft plunged directly into the water," they stated. "I've never witnessed anything similar in my existence."
The helicopter reportedly traveled over Governor's Island and near the Statue of Liberty, proceeding up the Hudson River along the New York side before making a turn in the vicinity of the George Washington Bridge and flying along the Jersey City portion of the river.
