Hudson River helicopter crash: Brother pays tribute to relatives as cause remains unclear

The heartbroken brother of the family of five horrifically killed in the helicopter has shared his tribute to his sister Merce Camprubi Montal, 39. Shocking footage showed the moment a tour chopper "split in half" in on Thursday, before plunging from the sky.

Merce was killed alongside her husband executive Agustin Escobar, 49, their three young children, and the pilot , a 36-year-old US Navy veteran. Merce's brother Joan Camprubi travelled to New York City to thrown flowers into the water in their memory and shared a heart-wrenching message to the family.

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Joan said the family - who were on holiday from Barcelona - "left together" and died "without suffering" after the terrifying sightseeing tour gone tragically wrong. The brother said: "As a family, we want to [remember] and honour their happiness and their smile forever."

The family-of-five were in the Big Apple to celebrate the birthday of their daughter , who was due to turn nine on Friday. The heartbroken brother added: "We will never forget you. And we will keep your smile alive every day of our lives. And that, I think, is the greatest legacy that we can give."

Joan was joined in New York by the city's mayor Eric Adams who also said: "What should have been a joyful vacation turned into an unimaginable tragedy."

The mayor also paid tribute to the American pilot who also tragically died on Thursday, saying "no words can fill the void, the loss" that his relatives are suffering with.

Officials at the National Safety Board are yet to determine the cause of this horror crash. Investigators are still underway as authorities were pictured removing and inspecting wreckage from the Hudson River.

An initial report into the doomed helicopter found the chopper was missing a crucial piece of equipment. The was on its eighth flight of the day but it was not fitted with flight recorders.

Officials shared that they have not been able to retrieve any audio, video or camera recorders from the crashed aircraft. The NTSB also shared the choppers last major examination was on March 1.

Following the tragedy, CEO of New York Helicopters, Michael Roth, said: "I’m absolutely devastated. The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter. And I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business."

In the last eight years, the company has faced bankruptcy and ongoing lawsuit over alleged debts.

One of New York Helicopters' choppers suddenly lost power mid-air in 2023, but the pilot was able to safely land it on a pontoon on the Hudson River.