A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, killing six people, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, calling it a “heartbreaking” tragedy.
Officials said the victims were five members of a family from Spain ‒ two adults and three children ‒ and the pilot.
There was no immediate word on what caused the crash, one of at least two in recent history to occur in the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey.
As authorities figure out what happened and family members of the victims begin grieving, USA TODAY is looking back at some of the most notable fatal helicopter crashes in the U.S. in the past 20 years, including what caused them.
From the mid-air collision of a commercial passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people in January to basketball star Kobe Bryant’s doomed flight in 2020, they include:
News choppers collide in Phoenix
- Date: July 27, 2007
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Deaths: Four
- What happened: Two TV news helicopters one from KTVK and the other with KNXV, collided over a park in the middle of the city as they covered a police chase, killing all four journalists on board the choppers. The National Transportation Safety Board determined both pilots were at fault for failing to see and avoid each other.
Tour helicopter crashes into the Hudson
- Date: August 8, 2009
- Location: Between Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City
- Deaths: Nine
- What happened: A tour helicopter carrying six people and a small private airplane carrying three collided over the Hudson River near Frank Sinatra Park. There were no survivors. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the air traffic controller was distracted by a non-essential phone call and the airplane pilot did not to use the electronic traffic advisory system.
Military night-training in Florida turns fatal
- Date: March 10, 2015
- Location: Navarre, Florida, about 50 miles east of Pensacola
- Deaths: Eleven
- What happened: An Army helicopter crashed near Eglin Air Force Base, killing seven Marines and four crew members, during a night training exercise. The Louisiana National Guard determined the two pilots onboard became disoriented when thick sea fog rolled into the training area mid-flight. Both pilots failed to effectively transition from visual flight procedures to instrument flight procedures, the Louisiana guard told the Pensacola News Journal in June 2015.
12 Marines killed in Hawaii mid-air collision
- Date: Jan. 14, 2016
- Location: Off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii
- Deaths: 12
- What happened: Twelve Marines were killed in Hawaii after two military helicopters crashed in midair off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. According to a report from the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley the crash was caused by pilot error, with the report saying that the crash likely happened as one chopper raced at night to catch up as the other helicopter turned to the left
A country star dead too soon
- Date: Sept. 8, 2017
- Location: Medford, New Jersey
- Deaths: Two
- What happened: Country music star Troy Gentry and his pilot died after their helicopter crashed near the runway of a small airport and entertainment area in Medford, New Jersey. The National Transportation Safety Board found the pilot at fault for the crash, saying they caused the helicopter to go into an “uncontrolled descent.”
Five killed after crashing into New Mexico mountain
- Date: Jan. 17, 2018
- Location: Near Raton, New Mexico
- Deaths: Five
- What happened: Five out of the six helicopter passengers died after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous area in northern New Mexico, according to CBS News. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board released after the crash said that pilot Coleman Dodd was flying too low to the ground, causing the crash.
Private helicopter crashes into New York’s East River
- Date: March 11, 2018
- Location: New York City, New York
- Deaths: Five
- What happened: In another New York City crash, a private chartered helicopter crashed into the East River, killing all five passengers. Investigators believed the crash was caused after a passenger’s bag inadvertently hit the helicopter’s emergency fuel shutoff button.
Kobe Bryant’s death in helicopter crash shocks the world
- Date: Jan. 26, 2020
- Location: Outside of Calabasas, California
- Deaths: Nine
- What happened: One of the most memorable helicopter crashes in recent years killed basketball great Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, as well as seven others when their helicopter crashed outside of Calabasas, California. A subsequent report from the National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot flying into thick clouds caused him to become “spatially disoriented” before crashing.
Black Hawks collide, killing servicemembers
- Date: March 29, 2023
- Location: Trigg County, Kentucky
- Deaths: Nine
- What happened: Two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training mission to the west of the Army base Fort Campbell, the midair collision killed all nine service members aboard of the helicopters. According to the ArmyTimes, Army officials said it was not clear if pilot error, or any other potential issues caused the midair crash.
Army helicopter collides with commercial jet
- Date: Jan. 29, 2025
- Location: Arlington, Virginia
- Deaths: 67
- What happened: A commercial passenger jet attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia collided in midair with a U.S. Army helicopter, sending both aircraft into the icy Potomac River and killing all onboard. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said a “communications issue” could have caused the crash.
Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers, Amaris Encinas, Anthony Robledo, Donovan Slack, Trevor Hughes, Eduardo Cuevas
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
