(New York) The helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River in New York in April 2025, killing six people, had bird strike marks, the U.S. Transportation Safety Agency (NTSB) said Thursday.
A Spanish Siemens executive, his wife, three children and a pilot died after the device failed, disintegrating in flight and falling into the cold waters of a river.
The family was on a sightseeing flight over Manhattan.
The remains of several geese were found on the plane, according to information released Thursday by the NTSB.
“A group of geese of various species struck the horizontal stabilizer and rotor blades,” according to an expert report submitted to the agency in December 2025 and made public on Thursday.
“Testimony from a person who saw about twenty geese flying towards the river several minutes before the loud noise was heard confirms their presence in the area shortly before the crash,” the report said.
Video of the crash showed that the cockpit appeared to have separated from the main rotor before the plane hit.
The NTSB reported on X that it had released more than 2,000 pages of documents. “The probable cause of the incident, as well as possible contributing factors, will be determined following the investigation,” the agency said.
Since 1980, there have been approximately 30 helicopter accidents in New York City.
Helicopters are significantly more susceptible to bird strikes than airplanes, and these strikes are also more likely to result in injury to crew members or passengers, according to the NTSB.