The US authorities continue to work to recover the pieces of the helicopter that crashed on the eve in the Hudson River in New York City, an accident that resulted in the life of former Delegate Counselor (CEO) of Siemens in Spain Agustín Escobar, his wife and three children.
“The New York Police Department is still looking for components and pieces of the helicopter. This includes the main rotor, the main transmission, the roof structure and the structure of the tail,” explained the president of the National Board of Transportation Security (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy.
He also reported that in a recent medical examination the pilot reported that it had 450 hours of flight experience. “On March 29, 2025, he accumulated approximately 788 hours,” he said, adding that he had a commercial certificate.
Homendy has detailed that they still have to calculate the flight time of the wrecked helicopter in question. “We are not going to make speculations; we need to confirm all the information and this is a process that will take time,” he said about an investigation in which up to 17 experts participate.
In addition, he also explained that there is a complete team that is collecting information about the pilot’s grades, registration books, as well as helicopter history or maintenance records. At the moment there is no “preliminary cause” of the accident, he added.
The device took off from a heliport of Manhattan and overwhelmed the statue of freedom to go back to the George Washington bridge and turn south again. About 16 minutes after taking off, the helicopter rushed into the void, spinning to crash into the water about 15.17 hours (local time), which is when US authorities received the first calls on the incident.
The helicopter engine-operated by the New York Helicopter Tours and owned by Meridian Helicopters-has been able to be recovered from the river by rescue equipment after the device, a 206 model, apparently disintegrate in the air.
In the helicopter, in addition to the pilot, the former delegate (CEO) of Siemens in Spain Agustín Escobar, his three children and his wife, Mercè Camprubí, who also worked in Siemens for seven years and was the granddaughter of the former president of Barça Agustí Montal Costa.
The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, confirmed on the eve at a press conference that the six people on board were declared dead after their bodies were recovered from the Hudson River by rescue teams.
The Spanish family had traveled to New York for a father’s business trip and were celebrating a birthday. The president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has transferred his condolences to the relatives of the victims.
