A family of Spanish tourists, including three children, have been killed as a helicopter crashed into New York’s Hudson River.
Six people died, including the pilot, in the incident around 3.17pm local time on Thursday.
New York Police commissioner Jessica Tisch said divers had recovered all those on board from the water near Manhattan.
“Four victims were pronounced dead on scene and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where sadly both succumbed to their injuries,” she said.
The crash happened near Pier 40. Pic: AP
The aircraft was on a flight run by the New York Helicopters company, with witnesses describing the rotor blade flying off moments before it dropped out the sky.
Lesly Camacho, a hostess at a restaurant along the river in Hoboken, New Jersey, said she saw the helicopter spinning uncontrollably before it slammed into the water.
“There was a bunch of smoke coming out. It was spinning pretty fast, and it landed in the water really hard,” she said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
NY mayor confirms six dead
The helicopter crashed in the river between Manhattan and New Jersey
Another witness said “the chopper blade flew off”.
“I don’t know what happened to the tail, but it just straight up dropped,” Avi Rakesh told Sky’s US partner, NBC News.
The crash happened near Pier 40 and the Holland tunnel, which links lower Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood with Jersey City to its west.
New York Fire Department said it first received a report of a helicopter in the water at 3.17pm local time.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the accident.
