[Source: Reuters]

A tourist helicopter crashed into New York City’s Hudson River on Thursday, killing all six aboard, including three children, Mayor Eric Adams said.

The victims were believed to have included a family from Spain and the pilot, the mayor said at a briefing.

Video of the crash showed what appeared to be a large object plunging into the river, followed seconds later by what appeared to be a helicopter blade. Afterwards, emergency and police boats were seen circling around a patch of river where the helicopter was submerged, with only what appeared to be the aircraft’s landing gear poking above the water’s surface.

The Bell 206 chopper, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, departed at about 3 p.m. from a downtown helicopter pad and flew north over the Hudson, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

It turned south when it reached the George Washington Bridge and crashed minutes later, hitting the water upside down and getting submerged near Lower Manhattan at around 3:15 p.m., just off Hoboken, New Jersey, Tisch added.

Divers helped remove the victims – the pilot, another two adults and three children – from the water. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were taken to area hospitals where they died.

The airspace around Manhattan is crowded with helicopters offering tourists a bird’s-eye view of the sights, with at least two dozen operators listed on the website Viator. Many of the operators also offer helicopter shuttle services to the area airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB leading the investigation.

New York City has a history of accidents involving helicopters. In 2018, five passengers aboard a helicopter died when it crashed into the East River, while the pilot survived. The helicopter was on a charter flight that featured an open door to allow passengers to take photographs of the skyline.

A New York City Police spokesperson said that police boats had assisted in Thursday’s rescue efforts.

Helicopter safety has been a topic of discussion in the U.S. Congress after 67 people were killed in a crash between an American Airlines regional jet and Army helicopter on Jan. 29 near the Washington DC’s Reagan National Airport. The FAA has since permanently restricted helicopter traffic near the airport and is reviewing helicopter operations near other major airports.

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