A helicopter went down in the Hudson Thursday afternoon. Six on board. No survivors.
The aircraft—a Bell 206—left from Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m. It vanished from radar at 3:25. Minutes later, wreckage hit the river near Jersey City.
Two adults. Three children. One pilot.
Witnesses heard what they thought was a gunshot. Some said it felt like an explosion. Social media shows the chopper breaking apart midair before slamming into the water. Rescue teams found it flipped and submerged.
The Coast Guard locked down the area. Vessel traffic halted.
Air tours run constant in this corridor. Heavy use means crowded skies. Officials say the crash may force new talks about flight congestion.
Emergency crews remain at the scene. NYPD warns of roadblocks near West Side Highway and Spring Street.
New York has seen 32 helicopter crash deaths since 1977. The last: 2019, when a chopper hit a tower in restricted airspace.
This time: six lives lost. Investigation ongoing. Numbers may shift. But the toll is already heavy. All of the details are still unclear.
More updates to follow.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.