On the helicopter company's website, there are pictures of the smiling Spanish family as they board the helicopter in central New York. However, Thursday afternoon's flight lasted less than 18 minutes. The helicopter flew along Manhattan's skyline and then turned back towards the Statue of Liberty. The crash occurred outside Jersey City, near Manhattan. The Spanish family, the parents and three children, aged 4, 5, and 11, according to American media, died along with the pilot.
Mayor Eric Adams reports that the deceased have been found and recovered from the water.
Justin Green, a lawyer specializing in aviation and a helicopter pilot in the military, describes the accident as a "catastrophic mechanical failure" after studying a video of the crash.
A loose rotor blade may have struck the helicopter's rear, he believes.
The helicopter was owned by New York Helicopters, whose owner, Michael Roth, tells the New York Post that he is devastated and "has no idea" how the accident could occur. The same company also owned the helicopter that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in 2013. On board were four Swedes, two adults and two children, who escaped unharmed.
Thursday's accident will now be investigated by federal aviation authorities.
At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977.
