Agustín Escobar, a senior executive at Siemens, and his family were among six victims of a tragic helicopter crash into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon. The sightseeing flight ended in disaster after the aircraft broke apart midair before plunging upside-down into the river, officials said.
Escobar, 55, served as CEO of Siemens Spain and Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. He was accompanied by his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, a global manager at an energy technology firm, and their three children, aged 4, 5, and 11. The pilot, 36, also perished in the crash.
The Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, departed Wall Street Heliport at 3 p.m., following a standard sightseeing route along Manhattan’s skyline. Radar contact was lost less than 18 minutes later as the aircraft approached the Jersey City shoreline. Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter spinning uncontrollably with smoke trailing before it slammed into the water near Pier 40.
Video footage captured debris falling from the sky as structural failures caused the tail rotor and main blade to detach mid-flight. Emergency responders quickly arrived but found all passengers deceased.
Escobar had more than 25 years of experience leading operations across Europe, South America, and North America. His work in rail infrastructure was described as “key” to Siemens’ success by Miguel Ángel López, former head of Siemens Spain.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed condolences during a press briefing: “Our hearts go out to the family and those on board.” The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
The family had arrived in New York from Barcelona just hours before boarding the ill-fated flight.
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