Helicopter crashes into New York’s Hudson River after it ‘split in half’ mid-flight
A helicopter crashed into New York’s Hudson River on Thursday (10 April), sparking panic across the Big Apple.
Officials confirmed they were responding to an incident near Manhattan after the chopper reportedly plummeted into the water at roughly 3.15pm local time.
A fleet of emergency service vehicles are said to have surrounded both sides of the Hudson River following the shock incident, CBS News said.
Reports suggest that the aircraft plummeted into the water near Pier 40 after 'splitting in half' in the air. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.
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One witness has since claimed to have watched the helicopter go 'down at a 45-degree angle' before it fell into the Hudson with a 'big splash'.
The eyewitness told ABC News it was 'very scary', while another compared the sound of the crash to 'a sonic boom' when speaking to WABC.
The man claimed he saw the helicopter 'splitting in two with the rotor flying off'.
The onlooker explained: "It sounded like a sonic boom. I look up, and literally I just see a helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off in the sky.
"It was going so fast, it just went straight into the water. I've never seen anything like that in my life."
Concerning footage has also been circulating on social media of the incident, which appears to show the wreckage of the helicopter in the water.
At least four people are believed to have been travelling on the aircraft, the New York City Fire Department said, according to ABC News.
Two people were pulled from the water, the BBC reported while also citing FDNY - although the nature of their condition is said to remain unclear.
Boat traffic in the Hudson has reportedly ground to a halt as officials assess the situation in the water, while traffic on the street is also said to have been stopped.
The 315-mile river, which flows from north to south, was the site of another shocking accident 16 years ago.
On 15 January, 2009, Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger extraordinarily saved the lives everyone onboard while performing an extraordinary landing on the Hudson.
He was flying US Airways Flight 1549 when a bird strike caused two engines to fail shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Miraculously, he was able to safely land the Airbus A320 on the river in one piece, saving all 155 passengers and crew on board.
The skies over Manhattan are routinely filled with planes and helicopters, both private recreational aircraft and commercial and tourist flights.
Manhattan has several helipads that whisk business executives and others to destinations throughout the metropolitan area.
Olivia Burke