JUST IN: Six Dead In Hudson River Helicopter Crash
Tragedy struck in New York on Tuesday as a helicopter carrying six people crashed into the Hudson River, killing everyone on board, according to ABC News.
Among the victims were a pilot, two adults, and three children—all tourists visiting from Spain.
The helicopter, a Bell 206, was flying for about 15 minutes over Manhattan before it suddenly plummeted into the water.
An eyewitness, Dani Horbiack, speaking to ABC News, said she saw the helicopter “fall out of the sky” from her apartment.
“I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots, then saw pieces falling and the helicopter crashing into the river,” she stated.
Eric Campoverde, another witness, said he saw the chopper descend at a sharp 45-degree angle.
“There was a huge splash—it was very scary,” he said.
A bystander told WABC that it “sounded like a sonic boom,” adding that the rotor flew off as the helicopter split into two mid-air.
The crash occurred closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson. When rescuers arrived, they found the helicopter upside-down in the frigid 50-degree waters.
The flight was reportedly the aircraft’s sixth trip of the day, ABC said, citing sources.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the cause of the fatal crash.
JUST IN: Six Dead In Hudson River Helicopter Crash is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
