A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Manhattan on Thursday, killing six people, according to officials.
At 3:17 p.m., the fire department received a call reporting a helicopter in the water. According to an official, all six people on board died.
Social media videos showed the Bell 206 submerged and upside-down in the water. Multiple rescue boats were spotted circling the aircraft.
The rescue craft were near the end of a long maintenance pier for a ventilation tower that serves the Holland Tunnel. Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles were on the streets near the scene, flashing their lights.
The skies above Manhattan are frequently filled with planes and helicopters, both private recreational aircraft and commercial and tourist flights. Manhattan has several helipads that transport business executives and others to various locations throughout the city.
Multiple crashes have occurred over the years, including a 2009 collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson River, which killed nine people, and a 2018 crash of a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights into the East River, which killed five people.
