New York authorities have named two of the grownup victims who died in Thursday’s fatal helicopter crash as Agustín Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal, a married couple from Spain.
A spokesperson for Metropolis Corridor stated in a single day that they have been among the many three adults and three youngsters to have died within the accident. The names of the opposite victims haven’t but been formally launched.
Within the devastating incident, the chopper appeared to interrupt in midair and crashed the other way up into the Hudson River.
The three youngsters have been believed to be the couple’s youngsters and the third grownup sufferer was the pilot.
The reason for the crash is unknown and is below investigation.
Escobar was a senior govt with the German know-how agency Siemens and was the CEO of rail infrastructure at its Siemens Mobility Division. Beforehand he was the CEO and president of Siemens Spain, in line with an organization announcement.
“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash wherein Agustin Escobar and his household misplaced their lives. Our heartfelt condolences exit to all their family members,” Christoph Erhard, head of company media relation relations for Siemens, stated in a press release.
Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, stated in a press release on X, translated by the Spanish Embassy in Washington, that the crash was “an unimaginable tragedy.”
Jersey Metropolis Mayor Steve Fulop stated on X Friday morning that the daddy within the Spanish household was within the U.S. for a enterprise journey earlier than his household flew out to spend a few days in New York Metropolis.
“They have been celebrating the mother’s fortieth bday with the vacationer helicopter flight yesterday. The youngsters have been all 11yo and youthful,” he wrote.
Fulop stated a brother-in-law of the household is flying in Friday morning and officers are working with the health worker to expedite the discharge of the our bodies again to Spain.
The helicopter, one of many vacationer flights that takes within the sights of Manhattan, took off from the Wall Road heliport at 2:59 p.m. Officers stated it misplaced management after turning on the George Washington Bridge to maneuver alongside the New Jersey shoreline someday after 3 p.m.
Video posted to social media confirmed the helicopters plunging into the river.
An eyewitnesses described seeing the helicopter crumble because it hit the river.
“It seemed like one thing was identical to breaking,” Bruce Wall, who took video of the crash, advised NBC’s Sam Brock. “At that time I’m fairly positive the helicopter hit the water and the blades have been simply beginning to come down. The tail was a pair toes again.”
Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Excursions, advised The Telegraph that the pilot had stated he wanted gasoline earlier than the crash.
“He [the pilot] referred to as in that he was touchdown and that he wanted gasoline, and it ought to have taken him about three minutes to reach, however 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth advised the paper, including, “We’re all devastated.”
President Donald Trump referred to as the crash “horrible” in a Fact Social Put up Thursday night time. “God bless the households and pals of the victims,” he stated.
NBC Aviation analyst Jeff Guzzetti stated on NBC’s “TODAY” present Friday: “There was some kind of sudden in flight failure that occurred to the purpose the place the pilot didn’t have a possibility to make a pressured touchdown or a mayday name, so one thing occurred abruptly.”
He famous climate would not seem like an element, though there have been some gusts and winds within the space.
“We’re some kind of {hardware} concern that maybe may have been prompted by an inappropriate pilot response, which may have been prompted by one thing like a chook strike. We simply do not know but,” he stated. Guzzetti famous the incident has the marks of mast bumping — when the rotor hub strikes the primary rotor mast — however the wreckage must be checked out to make certain.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board investigation will look into the pilot, the wreckage of the chopper, and whether or not the passengers had any footage on board, and can decide if there have been any birds or sturdy winds within the space on the time of the crash, Guzzetti stated.
