Pilot killed in New York City helicopter crash was from Chicago area, family confirms

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The pilot killed in a New York City tourist helicopter crash on Thursday was from the Chicago area, a family member confirmed to ABC7.

The chopper -- which was operated by the New York Helicopter Tours company -- fell into the Hudson River between Lower Manhattan and Hoboken, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon, just over 15 minutes after it departed from the Wall Street Heliport.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The crash killed pilot Seankese "Sean" Johnson and a family of five Spanish tourists.

A close friend told the ABC7 I-Team Friday that Johnson, a 36-year-old helicopter pilot, grew up on the South Side and was a Navy veteran who trained at Naval Station Great Lakes.

Johnson served in the military, and ABC7 spoke with a Navy veteran who says he served with Johnson on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

Johnson also appears to have ties to Henderson, Nevada, according to ABC News sources.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot accumulated 788 hours of total flight time. Investigators still need to calculate flight time in the particular helicopter he was flying when it went down.

It appears the helicopter rotor blades detached from the fuselage. The NTSB said flights like these have been a safety concern for years.

The images were truly shocking. New CCTV video showed the helicopter flying over the Hudson River, passing behind a building until it could be seen in distress, falling at a precarious angle toward the river, breaking apart in midair.

Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children -- aged 4, 8 and 10 years old -- have also been identified as victims in the crash.

The family came to New York City to join Escobar, who was in the U.S. for a business trip, according to Jersey City Mayor Fulop.

The sightseeing tour was part of the celebration for the wife's 40th birthday, Fulop said. The family died one day before the 8-year-old's birthday, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters four victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others later succumbed to their injuries, she said.

Video from the crash showed the chopper plunging into the water without a tail rotor or a main rotor blade. Officials said it hit the water inverted.

The chopper -- identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Bell 206 helicopter -- was on its sixth flight of the day.

It was found upside-down in the 50-degree water when rescuers arrived at the scene, which was closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to sources.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the city has had concerns about the air traffic over the Hudson before and is hoping this brings more attention to their safety concerns.

Another video showed the rotor blades fully detached, spinning toward the water. The bystander recorded video in total disbelief. The NTSB is now taking lead on the investigation into the crash as divers work to recover pieces of the helicopter, saying safety on sightseeing flights have been a long-term concern.

"We do believe they should be regulated," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. "We have issued recommendations in the past on recorders, crash resistant recorders we've issued numerous recommendations on safety management systems."

According to these Facebook posts, the pilot, Johnson, trained and worked been in a number of different states as a helicopter pilot, working as an aerial firefighting pilot last year. Before his New York pilot career, he was working in Chicago as a pilot for a helicopter tour company. The I-Team reached out to Fly Heli and they had no comment.

Johnson's close friend Niko Tiapula said he served with Johnson in the Navy on the USS Ronald Regan aircraft carrier for three years.

"Part of the reason he was so outstanding is because he had a work ethic unlike any other," Tiapula said.

Tiapula said Johnson trained at Naval Station Great Lakes and grew up on the South Side of the city. His friend group is utterly devastated by the loss.

"Everyone that he's ever been around with he's always been very nice, very outgoing," Tiapula said.

New York City authorities are citing the possibilities of mechanical, drone, or bird interference that could have contributed to the helicopter crash.

"As of March 29, 2025 the pilot accumulated about 788 of total flight time. We still need to calculate flight time in that Bell helicopter," Homendy said.

Johnson is now being remembered fondly.

"He loved to joke with his friends including myself as well. We always laughed. There was always a whole lot of laughter as well," Tiapula said. "He was trying to push me to be better... and he did, for sure."

The NTSB has not released a preliminary cause of the crash.

The CEO of Charter Company New York Helicopter Tours said his staff is devastated.

ABC News contributed to this report.