Investigators believe a flock of birds may have triggered last year’s catastrophic Hudson River helicopter crash that killed a pilot and a family of five visiting from Spain. Newly released National Transportation Safety Board records indicate the sightseeing helicopter struck multiple large birds moments before it broke apart and plunged into the water in April 2025. However, the agency has not yet issued its final determination. Analysis by the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab found bird remains on both the rotor blades and the helicopter’s horizontal stabilizer, identifying species including Canada geese and black-backed gulls. Videos captured the aircraft’s rotors separating as it fell into the Hudson. The victims included Siemens executive Agustín Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, their three children, and the pilot. Attorneys representing the family cautioned that the newly released investigative files should not be mistaken for the NTSB’s conclusions, which have yet to be issued.
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