A bird strike most likely caused the helicopter crash in the Hudson River that killed six people near New York City last year, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report released Thursday.
The NTSB found bird remains in the wreckage of the Bell 206L-4 helicopter and the surrounding area.
A family of five from Spain, including three children, and the pilot died in the April 2025 crash.
According to the NTSB report, pieces of the helicopter’s main rotor blade and a severed bird wing were found on the ground and on rooftops about 2,000 feet away from where the wreckage was recovered.
A specialist from the Smithsonian Institution’s feather identification lab conducted sampling of the wreckage, according to the report. Additional sampling was done by the NTSB’s lab to confirm the discovery of bird remains.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Tim McNicholas and
contributed to this report.
