The tragic helicopter crash that killed six people in New York City’s Hudson River has taken a chilling turn, as the final words of the pilot have been revealed.
According to the company’s chief executive Michael Roth, the pilot made a distress call moments before the crash, saying he was running low on fuel.
NEW: The pilot in the Hudson River crash has been identified as Navy SEAL veteran Sean Johnson, according to the Gothamist.
RIP.
Just days before the tragedy, Johnson posted a video of him flying to his Facebook account.
Johnson had recently moved to New York City to further… pic.twitter.com/YgZzDKXCjO
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 11, 2025
“He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth told The Telegraph.
Just 16 minutes into the flight, the Bell 206 helicopter plunged into the Hudson River, killing all on board — including a Spanish family of five: Agustín Escobar, Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility; his wife Mercè Camprubí; and their children, aged 11, five, and four.
JUST IN: 6 people are confirmed to be deceased in the Hudson River helicopter crash, according to the Associated Press.
The chopper's propeller was seen detached from the helicopter, spinning into the water.
According to a witness who spoke with NBC, the chopper blade just… pic.twitter.com/EMpWMJC9el
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 10, 2025
The family had posed for photos in front of the helicopter before the fatal trip, reportedly celebrating a birthday.
Eyewitnesses described the horrifying scene as the helicopter spiraled out of control. Lesly Camacho, who works at a restaurant near the crash site, said, “There was a bunch of smoke coming out. It was spinning pretty fast, and it landed in the water really hard.”
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said divers recovered the victims from the upside-down aircraft. “Four victims were pronounced dead on scene, and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where sadly both succumbed to their injuries,” she confirmed.
Mercè Camprubí Montal, who tragically lost her life along with her husband, three children, and the helicopter pilot in a crash over New York’s Hudson River, was deeply connected to FC Barcelona’s legacy.
She was the granddaughter of former FC Barcelona President Agustí Montal i… pic.twitter.com/EDJjiY6kvS
— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) April 11, 2025
Roth revealed he started receiving phone calls from other pilots in the area. “We began getting calls from pilots flying over the Hudson reporting the helicopter upside down,” he said. “We’re all devastated. My wife has not stopped crying. The death of the child of any human being is a monumental disaster.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed grief, posting: “We have had devastating news about the helicopter accident in the River Hudson. Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, lost their lives along with the pilot. It’s an unimaginable tragedy.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.