The victims of the deadly helicopter crash in the Hudson River are starting to be identified, as the aircraft is removed from the waters between New York and New Jersey.
The family of five was visiting from Spain when something went catastrophically wrong 18 minutes into their sightseeing tour on Thursday afternoon.
German industrial conglomerate Siemens identified the victims as company executive Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife Merce Comprubi Montal and their three young children, ages 4, 5 and 11.
According to LinkedIn, Escobar worked for Siemens for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure. His wife worked in a different division of the same company as a global manager.
Siemens issued a statement overnight saying, “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 prime minister of Spain also reacted to news of the crash on social media, writing in Spanish, “I share in the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time.”
The helicopter pilot was also killed in the crash, authorities said. That name has not been released.
What we know about the Hudson River helicopter crash
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images 
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating what went wrong, and the NTSB is expected to provide an update Friday afternoon.
The flight departed from the Wall Street heliport at 3 p.m. and radar data shows it flew north along the Manhattan skyline, then back south toward the Statue of Liberty.
New York City officials say the helicopter went out of control minutes after takeoff before plummeting into the water near the New Jersey side of the river.
“The helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge and then turned again to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the coast of Pier A Park in Hoboken,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Cellphone video captured the inverted sightseeing helicopter falling into the river. Witnesses said the aircraft’s propeller blades were already detached by the time it hit the water.
“We take thousands of tourist flights, there are many flights that are here, and helicopters are safe,” Mayor Eric Adams said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on social media that the helicopter was not getting air traffic support at the time because it was in a special flight rules area, but it did receive support from LaGuardia Airport before the crash.
The Bell 206 helicopter is owned by Louisiana-based Meridian Helicopters, which sells, leases and refurbishes helicopters. It was operated by New York Helicopter, which has been in business for 28 years.
“I don’t know anything how this went down. The only thing I can tell you, we are devastated, my wife hasn’t stopped crying since this afternoon. We’re a small company,” said New York Helicopter CEO Michael Roth. “I’m a father and a grandfather, and we’re just devastated.”
NTSB records show the only other incident involving New York Helicopter was a hard landing in 2015. It happened with a different chopper that was also leased from Meridian. The NTSB blamed that crash on a faulty part.
