Two Siemens executives and their children who were vacationing from Spain were killed after a sightseeing helicopter crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, according to the company and Spanish officials, as details about the victims from the latest aviation disaster are revealed publicly.
Spain’s prime minister said five Spaniards from the same family, including three children, were killed in the crash.
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Key Takeaways
- Agustín Escobar, who served as chief executive of Siemens’ rail infrastructure division, and his family were killed in the helicopter crash on Thursday, Siemens confirmed to Forbes in a statement Friday.
- Escobar’s wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, served as an executive with Siemens Energy, a separate company, according to her LinkedIn page (Siemens Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment).
- Escobar and Camprubí had three children, including Agustín, 10, Mercè, 8, and Víctor, 4, who were also killed in the crash, according to a text message sent to the New York Times by the Camprubí family, which said Mercè would have turned 9 on Friday.
- Escobar, 49, was born in Puertollano, Spain, the region’s leader wrote on social media, and his family lived in Barcelona, where two members of Camprubí’s family served as presidents of the F.C. Barcelona franchise, Salvador Illa, Barcelona’s governor, told the Times.
- Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, said Friday that Escobar had traveled to New York City for a business trip before his family flew out to join him, as they planned to celebrate Camprubí’s 40th birthday while her brother was en route to the city as of Friday morning, and Fulop added he was working with the medical examiner’s office to expedite the release of the family’s remains to Spain.
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday a five-person family—who had yet to be identified—was visiting from Spain at the time of the crash, and New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the helicopter pilot was also killed, though they have not been identified.
Crucial Quote
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the crash was “an unimaginable tragedy” and “devastating,” while Siemens CEO Roland Busch said he and the company would miss Escobar and his family “immensely.”
What Caused The Helicopter Crash?
A cause for the helicopter crash has not been determined, as the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it was leading an investigation into the incident with the National Transportation Safety Board. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the helicopter, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, was located in a “Special Flight Rules Area” in New York where no air traffic control services are provided. As the helicopter flew along the New Jersey shoreline, the helicopter’s visibility was about 10 miles, and the region was impacted by winds up to 15 miles per hour and gusts up to 25 miles per hour, Tisch said. These wind speeds account for a “moderate breeze,” according to the National Weather Service, and likely wouldn’t impact air travel.
What Do We Know About The Helicopter?
Federal regulators have previously called for additional inspections on Bell 206L-4 helicopters. In May 2023, the FAA required additional testing and possible replacement of tail rotor drive shafts on eight Bell 206L models, including the 206L-4, after one helicopter lost a tail-rotor drive in an earlier incident. The FAA required inspection and likely replacement of Bell 206L rotor blades because of “delamination,” or when layers within the helicopter blade separate because of fatigue, damage or manufacturing errors. The helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River was built in 2004 and had federal approval for flight through 2029, according to FAA records obtained by CNN.
Key Background
The New York City Fire Department received a report of a helicopter crashing into the Hudson River at around 3:17 p.m. EDT on Thursday, the department told Forbes. Tisch said the helicopter departed from a downtown airport at 2:59 p.m. Several New York lawmakers and officials responded to the crash, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who said he was closely monitoring the crash and confirmed the NTSB was on its way to the city. Adams, who asked residents to avoid an area of New York City by the crash, said he had been “briefed on this horrible crash” as he joins “all New Yorkers in praying for those we’ve lost and their families.” President Donald Trump, referring to the incident as a “terrible helicopter crash,” said footage of the accident was “horrendous.”
Tangent
At least 32 people have been killed in helicopter crashes in New York City from 1977 to 2019, the Associated Press reported. A private charter helicopter crashed in New York’s East River in 2018, killing all five passengers onboard, while the pilot survived. The NTSB later determined the crash was caused by a “tether from a safety harness” worn by a passenger that “got caught on a floor-mounted fuel lever.” Two other helicopter crashes occurred in 2019, one of which was fatal, according to the AP.
