The crash killed all those onboard the aircraft: the pilot and a family from Spain.
Two of the victims were initially taken to a hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries.
“At this time, all six victims have been removed from the water. And sadly, all six victims have been pronounced deceased,” Mayor Eric Adams told a briefing, after earlier calling it a “heartbreaking and tragic crash.”
The chopper’s landing skids were seen protruding from the river beside a tunnel vent as several boats clustered around the impact site.
Police from both New York and New Jersey, which is on the opposite side of the river from Manhattan, responded to the scene along with fire department vessels.
The NBC4 channel reported that its own helicopter was unable to take off because of weather conditions, with the weather in New York on Thursday gusty under thick cloud cover.
Witnesses told the outlet that a rotor blade had come loose from the aircraft, while footage on social media showed pieces of the aircraft breaking off and the helicopter plunging into the waterway.
“A Bell 206 helicopter crashed and is submerged in the Hudson River in New York City,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
“The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.”
New York City Police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the helicopter took off around 3 pm, flying south before heading up the Manhattan shoreline to the George Washington Bridge turning back towards the downtown Manhattan heliport, losing control and hitting the water near a Hoboken pier.
The police commissioner said the aircraft was operated by New York Helicopter which did not respond to a request for comment but lists the Bell 206 among its fleet. (AFP)
