A Bell 206 helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near New York City. Five people were rescued and taken to the hospital; three of them were children. Authorities are still searching for one missing person.
The NYPD reported the crash near Pier 40 at 3:17 p.m. The helicopter, built in 2004 and with an airworthiness certificate valid until 2029, flew for about 16 minutes before the crash.
Its flight path involved a circle near the Statue of Liberty before heading north along the Hudson River and subsequently crashing near New Jersey. The area experienced cloudy conditions with winds of 10-15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident. The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide updates. The exact number of fatalities remains unclear.
CNN —
Six people were involved in a deadly helicopter crash on the Hudson River and five so far have been pulled from the scene and taken to the hospital, a law enforcement official on the scene said.
The exact number of fatalities from the crash is unclear, authorities on the scene said.
The NYPD reported the crash at Pier 40 at 3:17 p.m. Of the five people recovered so far, the official told CNN three were children. Their conditions are not known and authorities are still searching for one missing body, the official said. The helicopter is currently submerged in the river and divers are attempting to recover the sixth person.
“Due to a helicopter crash in the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street, expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas,” the NYPD said in a social media post.
FlightRadar24 reported the aircraft to be a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, based on ADS-B tracking data. It was built in 2004 and had an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 that was good until 2029, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
The helicopter flew for about 16 minutes before going down into the water, according to analysis by CNN and flight tracking site FlightRadar 24.
The flight path shows the aircraft took off from lower Manhattan and did a circle near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge at about 1000 feet. At that point it turned back south, ultimately coming to rest in the water near New Jersey.
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.
Visibility at the surface was good — 10 miles — but it was cloudy as a system is moving into the region, bringing light rain to the region this afternoon and evening.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating the situation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide updates.
“A Bell 206 helicopter crashed and is submerged in the Hudson River in New York City,” the FAA said in a statement. “The number of people on board is unknown at this time.”
CNN’s Alexandra Skores, Matt Stiles and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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