Helicopter tour company CEO speaks out after chopper crashes into the Hudson River

The CEO of the New York helicopter tour company has broken his silence after a chopper crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday (10th April).

It broke apart in mid-air and plummeted into the New York river at around 3:15 pm local time (8:15 pm BST), killing all six people on board.

A Spanish family had booked the private chopper ride for one of their kids’ birthdays after travelling over from Barcelona.

Both parents, as well as their three children aged between four and 11, were all killed. Michael Roth, who owns New York Helicopter Tours LLC, says he is “devastated”.

“We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying,” he told The Telegraph.

“The death of the child of any human being is a monumental disaster.”

“He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.”

Credit: SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The 71-year-old was asked what he thinks caused the crash, and he told the New York Post it could have been a “bird strike” or the “main rotor blades failed”.

“The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter,” he said.

“And I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business.”

“The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don’t know,” the CEO continued.

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He then scarily warned tourists that “these are machines and they break,” suggesting that helicopter flights can never be 100% safe.

“I’m a father and a grandfather and to have children on there, I’m devastated.”

The cause of the crash has not been determined, but an investigation is currently underway.

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Featured image by: SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock