More heartbreaking details have surfaced in the aftermath of the devastating helicopter crash that claimed the lives of a Spanish family of five in New York City.

The family, visiting from Barcelona, Spain, had embarked on a sightseeing tour over Manhattan when their helicopter crashed into the Hudson River just 18 minutes into the flight. The aircraft went down near Pier A Park in Hoboken, New Jersey, only a short distance from where it had taken off.

Now, new information reveals that the pilot, whose identity has not been publicly confirmed, radioed the base shortly after takeoff to report that the helicopter was low on fuel and would be returning to the helipad. Tragically, that return trip never happened.

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Michael Roth, 71, owner of New York Helicopter, the company that operated the flight, told The Telegraph that the pilot’s message came just minutes before the crash. “He contacted base and said they were coming back,” Roth explained. “It didn’t sound panicked. But they never made it back.”

A video of the crash, now widely shared online, shows the helicopter flipping upside down before crashing into the river. Witnesses described the scene in chilling detail, reporting that the tail and rotor blades appeared to detach mid-flight. One person said the aircraft “split in two” with a noise “like a sonic boom.” Another likened the sound to thunder, recalling the sight of “black particles flying” through the air.

Eyewitnesses described a horrifying few seconds. A man named Max told ABC News, “It sounded like a sonic boom so I look up and literally I saw the helicopter splitting in two, with the rotor flying off in the sky. It just went straight into the water… and that was it. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”

The victims have been identified as Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive and the company’s global CEO of Rail Infrastructure, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, a global manager also with Siemens, and their three children, aged 11, 5, and 4. According to El Diario, the family had just arrived in New York to celebrate one of the children’s birthdays with a scenic helicopter ride.

What was meant to be a joyful experience turned into a tragedy that has stunned not only New York City but the international community. Siemens released a statement expressing deep sorrow: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones.”

The Bell 206 helicopter involved in the crash was owned by Meridian Helicopters, a Louisiana-based company that sells and leases aircraft. It was being operated by New York Helicopter, which has run sightseeing tours around New York for nearly 30 years.

“I don’t know how this went down,” Roth said. “We’re a small company. I’m a father and a grandfather, and we’re just devastated.”

This incident adds to a grim history of helicopter crashes in the city. According to the Associated Press, at least 32 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York since 1977. The last major crash occurred in 2019, when a corporate helicopter struck the top of a Manhattan skyscraper, killing the pilot.

As investigators from the FAA and NTSB continue to examine the cause of this latest tragedy, many are left grappling with the sheer heartbreak of what should have been a celebratory family outing. The suddenness of the accident, combined with the young ages of the victims, has left a profound impact on all who witnessed or learned of the event.

This loss is a sobering reminder of how quickly life can change. One moment, a family was excitedly posing for photos before liftoff. Minutes later, they were gone.