Signs of Bird Strike Found on Helicopter That Crashed in New York, Killing Six: NTSB

New evidence released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggests that a bird strike involving multiple geese may have played a key role in the fatal New York City sightseeing helicopter crash that claimed six lives in April 2025, though investigators have not yet determined the accident's final cause.

According to investigative documents, experts from the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory identified remains from several bird species on the wreckage, including Canada geese, Brant geese, and a great black-backed gull . The analysis found that Canada geese and Brant geese struck the helicopter's main rotor blades and horizontal stabilizer , while the gull was likely hit by debris after the aircraft had already begun breaking apart.

Investigators recovered bird remains from multiple sections of the helicopter, including the rotor blades, stabilizer and fragments pulled from the Hudson River. A severed bird wing was also found about 2,000 feet from the main crash site , alongside pieces of rotor blade foam, indicating that the helicopter may have encountered multiple birds during flight . Witnesses reported hearing two loud bangs moments before the helicopter broke apart in mid-air and crashed into the Hudson River near Jersey City. Several also said they saw a flock of geese flying in the area shortly before the accident.

The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV had departed from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport and was on its eighth sightseeing flight of the day . It flew north toward the George Washington Bridge before turning south, with the crash occurring approximately 17 minutes after takeoff .

The accident killed Siemens Mobility executive Agustín Escobar, his wife, their three children, and pilot Seankese Carrell Johnson . The NTSB noted that the helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder , as neither was required. The pilot's video-recording sunglasses, which could have captured the flight, were never recovered. Following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded New York Helicopter Tours , which later ceased operations. The NTSB emphasized that its investigation remains ongoing and that no final probable cause has yet been determined , with investigators continuing to assess whether the bird strikes alone caused the helicopter's catastrophic failure or whether other factors also contributed.