Tragic Helicopter Crash Claims Family Visiting from Barcelona — What Went Wrong Over the Hudson?
What began as a joyful sightseeing trip turned into heartbreak when a helicopter carrying a family of five plunged into the Hudson River on April 10, leaving no survivors.
Merce Camprubi Montal, her three young children (ages 4, 5, and 11), and the 36-year-old pilot had just arrived in New York from Barcelona. The family had booked a scenic helicopter tour to view the Manhattan skyline—a dream experience that ended in tragedy just 16 minutes after takeoff.
According to authorities, the helicopter was operated by New York Helicopter and had departed from a downtown helipad. Moments before the crash, the pilot radioed that the aircraft was low on fuel and attempting to return. They never made it back.
Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene. “The helicopter looked like it broke in mid-air,” one bystander said. “The blades just detached, and then it came spiraling down.” Several onlookers near Pier 40 watched helplessly as the wreckage hit the water.
Photos taken before the crash show the family smiling and excited, unaware of the tragedy to come. The joyful snapshots are now painful reminders of lives cut short.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a full investigation into what caused the mechanical failure and why the aircraft was allowed to fly under such conditions.
As the world mourns this devastating loss, many are left asking how a routine tour could end in such horror.
May they all rest in peace. 💔