Doomed Hudson River helicopter was once featured in video touting safety record — as beleaguered company says it's not operating until further notice
The New York City tour helicopter that plummeted into the Hudson River Thursday, killing six people, was once used in a now-chilling promotional video trumpeting the alleged safety record of the sightseeing company, which has stalled operations indefinitely.
A representative for New York Helicopters said the company is 'not operating until further notice' — just days after a family of five visiting from Spain and their pilot were killed in the horrific crash.
In a statement posted to its site, the firm said it was 'profoundly saddened by the tragic accident and loss of life that occurred on April 10, 2025, involving one of our helicopters in the Hudson River.'
The statement insisted 'the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew has always been the cornerstone of our operations,' and that company's 'immediate focus is supporting the families and their loved ones affected by this tragedy, as well as fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations.'
Footage of the doomed Bell 206L helicopter is still available on the firm's website under a section called 'Why Choose Us,' and YouTube.
In the video, which doesn't have sound, a man is seen checking the copter ahead of a planned takeoff.
'We have an industry-leading safety record,' the website states alongside the clip.
The ill-fated helicopter took off from Manhattan's Downtown Skyport at roughly 1:50 p.m. Thursday, with Siemens executive Agustin Escober, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three young children — Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4 — aboard.
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The family, who hailed from Barcelona, Spain, were flown by Sean Johnson, 36, a Navy veteran who recently moved to the Big Apple for his still-young aviation career.
The chopper crashed near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey, moments after the main and tail rotor detached from the body of the aircraft.
The exact cause of the crash has yet to be determined and could take weeks, officials said.
The safety video shows the black and white copter's main rotor blade tied to a dolly. The man in the video then unties the rope from the dolly and walks around the aircraft pulling the main rotor via the rope.
The man is also filmed climbing onto the side of the chopper and inspecting the engine and drive shaft before hopping into the cockpit, where he conducts more checks of the aircraft's tools.
The Bell 206L was manufactured in 2004 and had already logged 12,728 hours of flight time when it was forced into repair back in September for a mechanical issue with its transmission assembly.
In April 2023, the FAA issued two safety recalls for all Bell 206L model helicopters.
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