New York City – April 11, 2025
Thursday afternoon, tragedy struck over the Hudson River when a sightseeing helicopter carrying five tourists and a pilot sank near New York City, killing all six people on board. According to initial reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local authorities, the helicopter, operated by Liberty Air Tours, was on a routine aerial tour of New York City when it experienced a sudden mechanical failure. Around 3:20 p.m., witnesses reported that the aircraft began to spin out of control before collapsing into the river.Within minutes, emergency personnel from the Coast Guard, the NYPD, and the FDNY arrived at the scene. Divers recovered the bodies from the submerged wreckage shortly afterward. Officials confirmed that each of the six victims had passed away on the spot. New York City Mayor Rachel Whitmore expressed condolences to the families during a press briefing Thursday evening. She stated, "Our hearts go out to the families whose loved ones lost loved ones in this terrible accident." "We are collaborating closely with federal investigators to find out what went wrong and prevent this from happening again," The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a full investigation into the crash. Officials emphasize that no conclusions have been reached, but preliminary analysis suggests a possible engine failure or rotor failure. The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter, which was commonly used for urban tour operations, was said to have passed its most recent inspection just two weeks ago. The victims have not yet been officially identified, but sources say they included tourists from three different countries, highlighting the international appeal of helicopter tours over New York’s iconic skyline.
