Siemens executive, wife, three children dead in US helicopter crash

A helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River in New York City on April 10, killing a family of five Spanish tourists and a pilot, AP reported.

The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and three children aged 4, 5, and 11, in addition to the pilot, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press (AP).

Agustin Escobar had led Siemens Spain since 2022 and also served as Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility.

New York mayor Eric Adams said the flight began at a downtown heliport around 3pm, and the dead had been recovered and removed from the water, according to CNN.

A witness said he saw the helicopter “falling apart” in midair, with the tail and propeller coming off.

The flight was operated by tour company New York Helicopters, CNN reported citing officials.

US President Donald Trump also sent his condolences via a Truth Social post, saying “God bless the families and friends of the victims” and that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy was looking into the incident.

The path up the Hudson is a popular sightseeing route.

When the helicopter crashed, it was cloudy with winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph according to various weather reports in the area cited by CNN.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.