Witness reports suggest bird strikes preceded the April 2025 plunge
National Transportation Safety Board reports released Thursday indicate that a Bell 206 helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last year likely struck multiple birds before plummeting into the water, killing all six people on board. The remains of several geese were recovered from the wreckage, and witness accounts describe the aircraft encountering birds moments before the April 10, 2025, accident.
The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters as a Part 91 air tour flight, was carrying a Siemens business executive from Spain, his wife, and their three children, along with the pilot, Seankese Johnson, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023.
The Federal Aviation Administration has previously noted that helicopters are especially vulnerable to bird strikes because they operate at low altitudes. The agency has said that while helicopter bird strikes are uncommon, they can be catastrophic when they occur.
The crash renewed safety concerns about the popular sightseeing flights that operate over Manhattan and the surrounding waterways. New Jersey’s governor asked for additional restrictions on nonessential helicopter flights in the aftermath of the tragedy.