A helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside down into the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey shore on Thursday, killing all six people on board, officials and witnesses said, The New York Times reported.
The New York Fire Department said it was notified of the disaster at 3:17 p.m.
All six people on board were killed, according to information provided to the Associated Press by an anonymous law enforcement official.
Witness Bruce Wall said he saw the helicopter “break apart” in midair, with the tail and propeller separating. The propeller continued to spin as the helicopter fell, he added.
Leslie Camacho, who works at a riverside restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey, said she saw the helicopter spin out of control before crashing into the water.
“There was a plume of smoke coming out of it. It was spinning quite quickly and landed hard in the water,” she said.
Videos posted on social media showed parts of the helicopter falling into the water and the capsized craft sinking. Several rescue boats were seen circling the helicopter.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the helicopter as a Bell 206.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were set to launch an investigation.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
