A helicopter believed to be carrying a family of tourists from Spain crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon
A total to six people were on board for the flight, a family of five — two adults and three children — and a pilot was also on board, for a total of six people, all of which did not survive.
Video shared with New York ABC station WABC appeared to show pieces of the helicopter break apart and crash into the water.
A witness told 6ABC News that he saw the helicopter crash.
“I heard a loud snap … I looked over … and I could see a helicopter falling on its side and splash into the water,” the witness said. “I didn’t see anyone come out.”
Dani Horbiack told ABC News she watched the helicopter “fall out of the sky” from her apartment window.
“I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river,” Horbiack said.
“It sounded like a sonic boom,” a witness told WABC. He said he saw the “helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off.”
According to sources, the helicopter was upside-down in the 50-degree water when rescuers arrived to the scene, which was closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to sources.
At least 32 people have died in helicopter crashes in NYC since 1977 — most recently in 2019 when a helicopter used for executive travel hit the roof of Manhattan skyscraper in restricted airspace and the pilot was killed.
READ MORE:
RELATED: Small Plane Crashes in Manheim Township in Lancaster County
RELATED: Philadelphia Plane Crash Victims Identified by Jet Company
ABC News and WABC contributed to this report.