A Detail from the Video of the Hudson River Helicopter Crash Sparked Online Attention

The Jersey City Police Department is leading the investigation as the helicopter went down on the Jersey City side of the Hudson River.

As footage of the tragic Hudson River helicopter crash began circulating online, one particular detail caught viewers’ eyes, or rather, what wasn’t there. The apparent absence of the object sparked a flurry of speculation and alarm across social media.

Six people lost their lives on Thursday, April 10, after a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River in New York at 3:17 p.m., triggering an urgent rescue effort. Two of the victims were rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but sadly did not survive.

The victims were later identified as Agustin Escobar, a Siemens executive from Barcelona, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, ages four, five, and 11. The family was visiting from Spain, and the 36-year-old pilot also died in the crash.

As news of the tragedy broke and video footage of the crash circulated online, many viewers fixated on a disturbing detail — the apparent absence of the helicopter’s tail.

One person, scanning the wreckage closely, asked the question many others were thinking, “Where is the tail? Tail rotor??” Another individual commented with growing concern, “Looks like the rotor and tail is off. Horrible.”

After watching the footage several times, one viewer pointed out, “From the videos I saw, it looked like the Tail Boom, Tail Rotor & Rudder was not there when it went down. Has anyone seen any video of how it was lost? Did it hit something before it went down??”

The mystery deepened as someone else chimed, “Clearly came in contact with something..the whole tail is missing.”

For one person, the moment felt surreal and deeply unsettling, as they wrote, “I find it completely crazy that the tail end of the helicopter just snapped off as it flew thru [sic] the air. Witnesses said the helicopter hit nothing, it just made a loud boom noise and then the tail end broke off and fell into the Hudson with the chopper falling suit. How does that happen?”

One comment took the discussion further, raising serious concerns, “When a tail and main rotor separate mid-air, that’s not a minor mechanical issue; that’s catastrophic. Helicopters don’t just fall apart like that unless there’s serious negligence or… something more deliberate.”

The person explained, “They are required to do checks before taking off. It sounds like someone loosened the nuts and bolts of the tail and main rotor…that’s the first thing I noticed when I saw the footage.”

As investigations continue, the internet remains fixated on the missing tail, a detail many feel is too critical to ignore. The investigation into the devastating helicopter crash is now being led by the Jersey City Police Department, as the aircraft went down on the Jersey City side of the Hudson River.

In response to the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a temporary suspension of all flight operations in the area surrounding the crash site.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also stepped in, dispatching a team of investigators, commonly known as a “go-team,” who arrived Thursday night. Meanwhile, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the helicopter involved belonged to New York Helicopters.

According to the FAA, the aircraft was a Bell 206, which took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m. It flew north toward the George Washington Bridge before heading back south along the New Jersey side of the river.

The helicopter went off the radar at approximately 3:25 p.m. The entire flight lasted just 15 minutes before the aircraft plunged into the river in a dramatic nosedive.

Video footage shared with news outlets captured the horrifying moment the aircraft broke apart midair before crashing into the river. Officials later confirmed the helicopter struck the water upside down, missing both its tail rotor and a main rotor blade.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop reported that the main body of the helicopter had been recovered and transported to the Army Corps of Engineers facility on Chapel Avenue. However, significant portions of the aircraft are still missing.

Recovery operations, including dive efforts led by the NYPD and New Jersey State Police, are expected to continue Friday morning, April 11. On Thursday night, a crane vessel lifted the mangled remains of the helicopter from the river and placed it onto a barge.

Police also collected debris that had drifted to the shore, including jagged metal, a life vest, a passenger seat, and personal belongings believed to belong to the Spanish family who perished in the crash.

For those who witnessed the crash, it was a chilling scene. “I watched it fall out of the sky! I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river,” recalled Dani Horbiak, who observed the crash from her apartment window.

Another witness, Bruce Wall, said, “I heard some crackling, looked up and then just saw a plane falling apart. And then maybe 15 feet in the air after the tail came off, broke off, and then the plane just sort of tumbled into the water with the propeller still in the air.”

Emergency responders from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and NYPD quickly reacted after the crash, with divers entering the water almost immediately to assist in the rescue and recovery effort.

“Our hearts go out to the family and those on board,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a statement following the crash. The public remains in shock, with grief now accompanied by a growing demand for answers.