NTSB Finds Goose Remains on Wreckage of 2025 Hudson Helicopter Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board reported Thursday that remains of several geese were found on the wreckage of a sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River on April 10, 2025, killing six people. @ABC reported that investigators described evidence and witness reports indicating the aircraft struck multiple birds before it fell.

The Federal Aviation Administration has stated that helicopters are especially vulnerable to bird strikes because they operate at low altitudes.

The crash occurred less than 18 minutes after takeoff from a downtown heliport, when the aircraft flew north along the Manhattan skyline before turning south toward the Statue of Liberty. Witnesses saw the tail and main rotor separate as smoke poured from the spinning helicopter.

Navy veteran who obtained his commercial pilot’s license in 2023. Rescue boats recovered the bodies shortly after impact, and later crews retrieved the mangled helicopter from the river. New York Helicopter Tours shut down after the accident.

The FAA issued an emergency order grounding the company’s remaining flights after learning that operations director Jason Costello had agreed to suspend operations during the investigation and was fired 16 minutes after notifying the agency. The company’s chief executive officer emailed the FAA stating he had not authorized the halt and that Costello was no longer an employee.

The crash prompted New Jersey’s governor to request additional restrictions on nonessential helicopter flights over the area.