Signs of bird strike in wreckage of deadly NY chopper crash: investigators

The wreckage of a New York sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River, killing six people, showed signs of a bird strike, investigators said on Thursday.

A senior Spanish business executive, his wife and three children died along with the pilot when the helicopter malfunctioned in April 2025, disintegrating in midair before plunging into the cold water.

The family was on a pleasure flight over Manhattan, described by the operator as the "ultimate sightseeing tour of New York City."

The remains of several geese were found on the aircraft, according to evidence published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

"(A) mixed-species flock of geese... impacted the horizontal stabilizer and rotor blades," said a report by the Smithsonian Institution's Division of Birds to the NTSB dated December 11, 2025 and released Thursday.

"An eyewitness account of about 20 'geese' taking flight and heading toward the river just minutes before a loud bang was heard corroborates geese in the area shortly before the crash."

Video of the incident emerged showing the cockpit apparently becoming detached from the rotor.

"More than 2,000 pages of factual materials have been released. The probable cause and any contributing factors will be determined at the conclusion of the investigation," the NTSB said on X.

There have been around 30 helicopter crashes in New York since 1980.

Helicopters are significantly more likely to be damaged by bird strikes than airplanes, and are also more likely to lead to injuries to crew or passengers, according to evidence previously cited by the NTSB.

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© Agence France-Presse