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The family of five killed in a helicopter ,this week had been celebrating a birthday before the tragedy, officials said.
AgustÃn Escobar, chief executive of Siemens’ rail infrastructure division in Spain, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children were
The tragedy occurred on the New Jersey side of the Hudson around 3:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, April 10, shortly after the helicopter took off from downtown New York.
The pilot, who was also killed, has not yet been identified.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, the chopper operated by a touring company “falling apart†in midair and the pilot he needed fuel before crashing.
The family had traveled from Barcelona, Spain,
The mayor of Jersey City, N.J., Steven Fulop, that Escobar was in the U.S. on business and his “family flew out to extend the trip a couple days in NYC.”
“They were celebrating the mom’s 40th bday with the tourist helicopter flight yesterday,” Fulop wrote on Friday, April 11.
He added that officials were “working … to expedite release of the family to fly back to Spain” and that relatives were en route to the U.S.
The three kids were all 11 or younger, Fulop wrote.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that one of the children was set to turn 8 the day after the crash.
“So this is probably part of the normal tourist attraction of seeing the city from the skyline,†Adams “But it’s just a real unfortunate situation. And our heart goes out to the family members.â€
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating alongside the National Transportation Safety Board, said the aircraft was a Bell 206 helicopter.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and friend, Agustin Escobar, and his beloved family,” Siemens CEO Roland Busch wrote on “Agustin was the CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Agustin’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. We will miss him and his family immensely.”
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The aircraft was flying for tour company New York Helicopters, authorities have said.
It “lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the coast of Pier A Park in Hoboken,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters.
New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth said he was “devastated” following the incident, according to theÂ