A helicopter that crashed into New York City’s Hudson River on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of all six people on board, including three children, lacked flight recorders, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The Bell 206 helicopter was reportedly on its eighth tour flight of the day, having already completed seven flights prior to the incident, according to federal investigators.
As of Saturday, there were no video or camera recorders recovered from the aircraft, and none of the equipment on board had recorded any information that could aid in the investigation, the NTSB stated in an update.
New York police divers continued to search for parts of the helicopter, which included the main rotor, gear box, tail rotor, and the tail boom, the NTSB agency confirmed.
The helicopter had undergone its last major inspection on March 1.
Divers were able to recover the victims as well as the pilot from the submerged wreckage; four people were declared dead at the scene, while the remaining two died after being transported to nearby hospitals.
Among the deceased were senior Siemens executive Agustín Escobar and his wife, Mercè Camprubí, who was celebrating her 40th birthday.
They were accompanied by their three children aged 10, eight, and four.
The pilot, Seankese Johnson, a Navy veteran, also lost his life in the tragic incident.
Some parts of the helicopter have been recovered and sent to NTSB laboratories in Washington for further inspection, including the cockpit, cabin, horizontal stabilizer finlets, vertical fin, and a portion of the tail boom, according to the NTSB update.
Investigators are also examining two similar helicopters as a part of the investigation and have met with representatives of New York Helicopter Charter, the operator of the crashed aircraft, to review operational records, policies, procedures, safety management systems, and the pilot’s experience.
The CEO of the helicopter operator stated that the pilot had indicated he needed fuel sometime before the crash, yet he clarified that he is unsure of the exact cause of the aircraft’s descent.
The helicopter took off at approximately 3 PM local time on Thursday from a downtown helicopter pad and flew north along the Hudson River, as reported by New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch.
After reaching the George Washington Bridge, the helicopter turned south but crashed shortly thereafter, hitting the water upside down near lower Manhattan, just off Jersey City, at around 3:15 PM.
This incident was one of at least three deadly aviation crashes that have garnered news headlines in the U.S. in recent days.
On Saturday, a twin-engine plane with six people on board crashed near the community of Copake in upstate New York.
Officials have confirmed that the crash was deadly but did not immediately provide details on the number of fatalities involved.
Additionally, on Friday morning in Boca Raton, Florida, three family members lost their lives after a small plane crashed near Interstate 95.
A family statement reported by the Florida news station WPTV identified those killed in that crash as Robert Stark, 81; Stephen Stark, 54; and Brooke Stark, 17, who were grandfather, father, and daughter, respectively.
Experts assert that flying commercially remains the safest mode of transportation statistically.
However, many in the U.S. public have been particularly vigilant regarding aviation crashes since a January incident involved the collision of a passenger airplane and a military helicopter just outside Washington D.C. that resulted in the deaths of all 67 individuals aboard both aircraft near Ronald Reagan airport.
Following that incident, the federal government imposed a ban on helicopter operations along the route involved in the crash near Ronald Reagan airport.
Reuters contributed to this report.
image source from：https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/13/helicopter-new-york-crash
