What if you could fly to the airport instead of being stuck in traffic? Senior producer Jacky Zarra tested out Blade, a helicopter commuting service that flies passengers from the Hudson River to John F. Kennedy International Airport, to see if it was worth the high price.

• A tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, killing six people.
• A former military helicopter pilot told BI the helicopter's rotary system appears to have failed.
• Helicopter crashes are more common than airplane accidents, but main rotor detachment is rare.

There are a lot of questions swirling after a tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, killing Siemens Mobility executive Agustín Escobar, his wife, and three children.

The pilot, who the National Transportation Safety Board said on Friday had about 788 hours of total flight experience, also died.

The 21-year-old Bell 206 helicopter, registered N216MH and operated by New York Helicopter, plummeted into the river off the New Jersey shoreline at around 3:15 p.m.

It crashed upside down after what appears to have been a midair breakup. The aircraft was owned by Louisiana-based Meridian Helicopters, LLC, whose website says it sells, refurbishes, and leases helicopters. Meridian didn't return an email or phone message from BI.

Former military helicopter pilot Brian Alexander told Business Insider that the accident appears to have been a result of a "catastrophic mechanical failure" involving both the main and tail rotors.

He said no cause is confirmed and people should wait for the NTSB's investigation before jumping to conclusions. Alexander also is a partner at aviation accident law firm Kreindler & Kreindler.

While Thursday's helicopter crash could spark renewed fears amid a recent spat of airline accidents, the cause is unlikely to be related.

Why did the helicopter crash?

Videos posted on social media show the helicopter's rotary systems apparently detached mid-flight, falling into the water after the aircraft's main body had already crashed.

"It's hard to say which came first," Alexander said. "There appears to be spinning, which would suggest a tail rotor issue, but you can't rule out a main rotor detaching first and hitting the tail rotor."

The spinning he's referring to is the helicopter fuselage as it fell into the Hudson, which he said means the tail rotor likely failed at some point.

He explained that without a tail rotor, the helicopter would "spin like a top" due to the torque created by the main rotor as it produces lift and thrust. Either or both systems failing could lead to an accident.

"If you lose your main rotor, meaning it's detached, you have no lift, you're done," Alexander said. "There's nothing you can do at that point; you're just a falling object."

He said a helicopter that loses just a tail rotor is a severe situation, but it can still be flown — though with great difficulty.

Alexander said that losing power is typically a more surmountable issue. In a scenario where the helicopter's engine failed, and the blades were still attached, the aircraft could auto-rotate to descend to land.

NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy said on Friday that part of the wreckage had been pulled from the river, but dive teams are still retrieving components, including the main and tail rotors.

She said the agency "does not speculate" on probable cause and still needed to gather the sunken components, conduct witness interviews, and gather records like maintenance logs.

Why did the rotors apparently detach?

Alexander said that there are several reasons the helicopter rotors could detach, like mechanic error or a transmission issue.

He also said the mast — which connects the main rotor hub to the transmission — could have disconnected entirely.

"Someone on the maintenance side maybe didn't tighten a bolt up, or a part just failed," he said, emphasizing that any cause is still unknown. "I'm sure that's what [investigators] will be looking at."

This wouldn't be the first time a helicopter owned by Meridian and operated by New York Helicopter experienced a system malfunction.

In 2015, the tail rotor driveshaft on another one of the company's Bell 206 helicopters detached, which caused a loss of control and hard landing in New Jersey, according to the NTSB.

The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was uninjured.

The driveshaft transmits power from the transmission to the tail rotor. However, the NTSB determined that the one installed was "unairworthy."

Meridian told the NTSB that the driveshaft was purchased at auction by the helicopter's previous owner after the same helicopter experienced a separate hard landing in 2010.

Inspectors found the driveshaft had been repainted, corrosion had been removed, and the serial number did not match known records — meaning they could not determine if it was the same driveshaft that was attached to the helicopter during the 2010 hard landing.

The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the 2015 crash was the "deliberate concealment and reuse" of a faulty driveshaft "by "unknown personnel."

New York Helicopter didn't answer calls from BI; its president declined to comment to The Wall Street Journal.

How often do helicopters crash?

While helicopters are generally safe so long as safety procedures are followed, they have a comparatively higher crash rate than commercial airplanes because of their riskier complex systems and operating environment.

Helicopters have more moving parts, require more adjustments, rely on auto-rotation to emergency land rather than glide, operate at lower altitudes, and commonly fly in less controlled airspace.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that Thursday's helicopter was flying in the Special Flight Rules Area at the time of the crash, where there is no air traffic control support.

Data from the US Helicopter Safety Team shows there were about 90 helicopter accidents in 2024, 13 of which led to 30 collective fatalities.

An Associated Press report said at least 32 people were killed in helicopter crashes in New York City between 1977 and 2019.

Five people died in 2018 when a helicopter crashed and flipped upside down in the East River. A year later, a helicopter crash-landed on the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper, killing the pilot.

The accidents have sparked restrictions on things like flight paths and landing spots to improve safety.

Alexander said that while helicopter crashes are more common, complete main rotor detachment is rare. "Everything about this is unusual," he said. "You just don't see something like what we all saw."

• A tourism helicopter crashed in the Hudson River on Thursday, killing three adults and three children.
• A Siemens executive, his wife, and their three children were among the dead, a company spokesperson said.
• The NTSB said the aircraft was not equipped with any flight recorders and was on its eighth flight of the day.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Saturday that the helicopter involved in a crash that killed six people in New York earlier this week was not equipped with any flight recorders and that the accident occurred during the aircraft's eighth flight of the day.

"No onboard video recorders or camera recorders have been recovered and none of the helicopter avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation," the NTSB said in an update.

It added that the helicopter had completed seven tour flights on the day of the crash and that its last "major" inspection took place on March 1.

A Siemens executive, his wife, their three children, and a pilot were killed when a tourism helicopter plummeted into the Hudson River near Manhattan on Thursday.

Agustín Escobar, 49, had been the global CEO of the rail unit for Siemens Mobility. His wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, also worked for the company as the global commercialization manager for its energy division.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones," a Siemens spokesperson said on Friday.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told a press conference on Thursday night that four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two were taken to the hospital where they later died.

The pilot, who has been identified as US Navy veteran Sean Johnson, was the other victim.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the helicopter involved was a Bell 206, and that the NTSB would lead the investigation.

The NTSB said on X that it was "launching a go-team" to investigate the crash.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show the helicopter's rotor disconnected from the rest of the aircraft, spinning mid-air as the cabin plunged into the water.

Officials said that it appeared the helicopter, which was operated by New York Helicopters Tour Company, had lost control.

In a statement Friday, New York Helicopter Tours said it was "profoundly saddened by the tragic accident and loss of life that occurred on April 10, 2025, involving one of our helicopters in the Hudson River."

"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew has always been the cornerstone of our operations. Our immediate focus is supporting the families and their loved ones affected by this tragedy, as well as fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations," it continued.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Calls to the helicopter's registered owner, a Louisiana firm, were unanswered.

The NTSB said Saturday that the helicopter's main fuselage, the forward portion of the tail boom, the horizontal stabilizer finlets, and the vertical fin had been recovered, but that divers were continuing to search for the main rotor, main gear box, tail rotor, and a large section of the tail boom.

A recent spate of plane crashes has raised awareness of aviation safety.

The Hudson River sees heavy helicopter traffic between airports and tourist flights over landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty. Pilots are required to use specific corridors.

In 2018, five people died after a helicopter made an emergency landing in the East River and flipped upside down, trapping the passengers inside.

The following year a helicopter crash-landed on the roof of a skyscraper, killing the pilot.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in late February, Ernesto Tey walked from a meeting on the west side of Manhattan to the heliport at 30th Street on the Hudson River. He was early for his 3 p.m. Blade helicopter flight to Kennedy International Airport, so he ordered a drink at the lounge bar.

A self-described "plane geek" who works for a software company and flies single-engine aircraft in his spare time, the Californian says he's taken about 30 Blades to and from Manhattan over the last few years. The nine-minute ride starts at $95 for those with a pass, and when an Uber in rush-hour traffic can take more than an hour and set you back more than $100, it doesn't sound so unreasonable.

Plus, it's fun and the views are wild. "Where else can you fly in a helicopter for between $100 and $200?" he told me.

A few minutes later, Tey and I and two other passengers climbed aboard a six-seat helicopter — just feet from Hudson River Park's busy waterfront walking and bike path — and soared 1,400 feet above the Hudson, around the southern tip of Manhattan, and across Brooklyn.

Helicopter commuter and private charter services are steadily transforming the whirlybird from a plaything of the ultrawealthy to an on-demand rideshare for anyone with access to a company card or willing to blow a few hundred dollars on an Instagrammable experience. "Blading" has become a verb for the Hamptons set, as the industry has expanded its footprint in recent years, particularly in the New York City area.

Less pleased with the rise of whirlybirds are those literally below them.

Over the past few years, New Yorkers have taken to the city's nonemergency 311 complaint line to register their displeasure like never before. Helicopter noise complaints exploded by 678% in two years, from 3,332 in 2019 to 25,916 in 2021, based on 311 data compiled by Business Insider. Complaints more than doubled to 59,127 in 2023. Last year, they dropped to 28,686 — still far above the pre-COVID normal.

The surge in complaints aligns with the rise of private charter and commuter services, on top of a loosely regulated sightseeing helicopter industry and a spike in law enforcement chopper flights. An analysis by the New York City Council of flights and complaints in May 2023 found that trips like the one I took from Manhattan to the airport and tour choppers from New Jersey generated the most complaints. But local, state, and federal leaders have done little to stop the chop in recent years.

For all the hubbub about helicopters, they're only the harbinger of a future of much more crowded skies. The industry is on the verge of transformation by long-awaited electric choppers that the federal government, local policymakers, and helicopter services are already embracing as a way to vastly expand the air-taxi industry and make vertical urban travel mainstream.

Helicopter commuting is nothing new in the Big Apple. Modern helicopters were invented at the start of World War II. In the 1950s, the aviation company New York Airways began offering relatively cheap chopper rides from the roof of a midtown Manhattan skyscraper to the city's airports. A deadly crash in 1977 tarnished the industry's glamorous image, but in the decades since, the city's skies have filled back up with choppers, including so-called "nonessential" charter flights and sightseeing services, as well as "essential" law enforcement, media, and medical flights.

Blade is on a mission to vastly expand rideshare in the skies. Its CEO, Rob Wiesenthal, told me the company's passenger business has grown from about $2 million in revenue in 2014 to more than $100 million last year. Earlier this year, it opened up its $95 airport shuttle service for Long Island and New Jersey commuters — marketing it as a way to skip New York City's new $9 congestion pricing toll on drivers below 60th Street. "If you think about $75 for parking and $9 for congestion pricing and $13 to $26 for whichever tunnel or bridge you take, you actually save money with the pass," Wiesenthal said. (He doesn't mention New York City's vast network of commuter trains. The A train from the airport will set you back a grand total of $2.90).

What struck me about my fellow Blade passengers was how casually they treated the experience. Stephanie Fuhrman, who works for a software company based out of Utah, was in New York for business and opted for a Blade to save time getting back to JFK. "It's like a bus to me," she said. "It's just transportation." Plus, her Uber from the airport to Manhattan in morning traffic had taken about an hour and a half and cost her nearly $200, she said. "I couldn't take the risk going to the airport."

The fourth passenger on our flight, Donal Collins, falls into the other category of Blade customer: leisure travelers seeking a joyride. The 27-year-old, who works at a Brooklyn-based AI startup, loves to fly, but this was his first whirlybird ride. On his way from New York to California, he decided to use the Blade gift card his brother had given him for Christmas. Blade's clientele ranges from C-suite executives to executive assistants. They're Hamptons-goers, commuters, and thrill seekers — and they've gotten younger over the years as prices have come down. Blade's busiest days are Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays when long-weekend travelers mix with the business crowd.

While the cost of a chopper ride might be low for a well-compensated white-collar worker, the quality-of-life negatives for those they fly over are remarkably high.

Looking down at the tiny skyscrapers from my seat next to the pilot, I was reminded of the similarly beautiful day in late September I'd spent picnicking on Governors Island off Lower Manhattan. What struck me then — and helped inspire my obsession with the helicopter industry — was how difficult it was to enjoy the idyllic car-free oasis with the near-constant chop-chop of helicopters overhead. Like many of the city's waterfront parks, the island has become what one anti-helicopter advocate told me is "ground zero" for chopper traffic.

Critics of the helicopter industry point to the safety hazards of congested skies and the environmental impact of the fuel-spewing machines. But the window-rattling racket they make tops the list of concerns. Loud, disruptive noise can have a range of physical and mental effects "from raising the biomarkers for stress to changing how people's hearts and metabolisms work, and reducing people's lifespan," Nick Shapiro, a professor of biology and society at UCLA who studies the health impacts of helicopter policing, told me. One 2017 study linked aviation noise to disrupted sleep, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower academic performance among kids. Aircraft noise is especially annoying because it's both loud and intermittent, Shapiro told me. Helicopters fly lower than planes and have the least regulated traffic patterns.

Chopper noise doesn't affect everyone the same way. People who've lived in war-torn or hyper-policed areas might have a more acute mental or physical reaction. "Different populations might feel stalked or harassed by that noise in a way that is culturally and historically informed," Shapiro said.

In the case of policing, the noise is often the point. Beginning during the 1965 Watts riots, the Los Angeles Police Department pioneered the use of helicopters to patrol neighborhoods. Flying low, sometimes using spotlights, most of the flights were used to deter crime rather than respond to emergencies. "The sonic impacts are intended and part of its hypothesized efficacy," Shapiro said. "It's about seeing the helicopter, rather than the helicopter seeing what's happening on the ground." A 2023 audit found the LAPD's helicopter program costs about $47 million a year — more than the budgets of 14 city agencies — and found "little evidence" that it reduced crime.

New Yorkers have long made a stink about helicopters over their streets. Mayor Rudy Giuliani closed one of the city's heliports in 1997 under pressure from incensed residents. In 2016, the New York City Council came close to shutting down two of the city's heliports, but Mayor Bill de Blasio settled on a compromise that halved the number of tourist flights that originate in the city — from 60,000 flights a year to 30,000. Since then, New Jersey has seen a surge in helicopter tour operators, which fly an unknown number of choppers over the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and everywhere in between, unrestricted by the city's regulations. The New York City Council analysis of 2023 helicopter traffic found that the number of tourist choppers in city airspace that originated in New Jersey and Westchester County was about the same as the number launching from the city.

Melissa Elstein began noticing an uptick in helicopters flying over her Upper West Side apartment and over Central Park in summer 2019. When she found out many were doors-off, shoe-selfie tourist choppers, she was incensed. "It's really insane that this is even allowed, especially given that we're also the most densely populated city and with some of the busiest skies," she told me. So Elstein decided to help revive Stop the Chop NY/NJ, a group pushing for much stricter regulation of nonessential choppers. The group has some high-profile supporters, including members of Congress and local elected officials.

While the city controls what happens at its heliports, only the federal government, specifically the Federal Aviation Administration, controls New York City's airspace. New York Reps. Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, and Nydia Velázquez have introduced federal legislation to ban nonessential choppers over the city. Some local lawmakers support the federal ban and want to see the city government end tourist and commuter flights from city-owned and operated heliports.

"There's just no reason that we should have city-owned helipads to fly the Uber elite out to JFK or the Hamptons at the expense of the quality of life and well-being of our communities," Lincoln Restler, a Brooklyn City council member, told me.

There's precedent for regulating or banning helicopter traffic. There are no-fly zones above some of the country's most prized monuments — the White House and the US Capitol and, naturally, Disney World and Disney Land. Some major cities around the world, including Paris, have also basically banned nonessential chopper flights. And several European countries have ended short-haul plane flights to help curb carbon emissions.

New York City's Economic Development Corporation, which runs two of the three public heliports, has resisted efforts to further crack down on tourist flights in the city, citing the tourism dollars it brings in. Restler told me he doubts EDC's defense of helicopter tourism, calling it "kind of farcical" and instead motivated by a desire to keep the wealthiest New Yorkers happy. For all the headache, the city-owned heliports only bring in about $3 million a year in revenue, Anton Fredriksson, EDC's director of aviation, told me.

"Essential flights" are also a growing part of the noise problem. Under Mayor Eric Adams, the New York police department's use of law enforcement choppers has risen dramatically. A 2024 Bloomberg investigation found that the force's helicopters spent 60% more time in the air in 2023 than in the previous four years. The NYPD's spending on the helicopter program more than doubled between fiscal year 2021 and 2023 to $12.3 million.

The helicopter industry is on the verge of a major transformation. In 2023, the FAA published a report outlining its path to approving the first so-called electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft for commercial flight by 2025 — and widespread use by 2028. These machines are basically electric versions of helicopters — and have been hyped by the Silicon Valley set for years. Some chopper services, including Blade, want them to replace their use of combustion-engine helicopters.

"This is the first phase of a really exciting new age where instead of moving around on the ground, we're able to move around in the air," Eric Allison, the chief product officer of one California-based eVTOL company, Joby Aviation, told me. Joby has partnered with Uber, Delta, Toyota, and the US government, and aims to launch its air taxi services at Uber Black prices and eventually hopes to bring them closer to UberX prices. It's not clear when they'll get final certification from the FAA to start ferrying people around the US, but they're undergoing approval in Dubai.

After resisting the regulation of traditional helicopters for decades, New York leaders are embracing the electric rotor industry with open arms as the solution to noise and air pollution. Some support lifting caps on flights if they're electric. The mayor and EDC invited Joby and a German company to show off their machines in a test flight in downtown Manhattan in late 2023. Adams predicted at the event that "within our lifetime, many of you are going to own your own personal electric helicopter." There are some clear upsides to the technology — eVTOLs are much quieter than combustion-engine helicopters, and they don't spew jet fuel.

Even some city lawmakers who've led the charge against the helicopter industry are welcoming their electric counterparts. "The future of electric air taxi travel represents innovation, sustainability, and expanded transportation options for our city," Amanda Farías, the New York City Council majority leader, said in a statement.

Restler is more cautious. "Until we actually experience how they work in practice and what impacts they have, we don't know kind of what regulatory structure we need to protect the health, well-being, and safety of our communities," he said.

Earlier this month, Blade announced it's expanding its JFK flight offerings to the downtown Manhattan heliport in an effort to help the heliport's new operator "gather data on consumer demand, flier experience, and logistics" and transition to eVTOLs.

It's clear we're hurtling toward a future of highways in the sky — and we're already there in NYC. But it's not clear it's one that appeals to the average city dweller. It might warrant asking the question: Do we want the 1% taking over the skies?

Eliza Relman is a policy correspondent focused on housing, transportation, and infrastructure on Insider's economy team.

• A Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight during training.
• The Black Hawk, a versatile military aircraft, is used for various operations.
• The Black Hawk has millions of flight hours logged and is known as a "workhorse" aircraft.

The US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight Wednesday evening is one of the most popular and recognizable helicopters in the US military, with variants of the aircraft serving in a range of roles.

Here's what you need to know about the Black Hawk.

What are Black Hawks used for?

The Black Hawk, which is made by Lockheed subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft, is known as a military "workhorse" because of its versatility. It's used for battlefield medical evacuations, search and rescue operations, troop and cargo movement, and special operations, including high-profile missions by Army special operations.

The Army has been flying the aircraft since 1979.

The aircraft was famously a feature of the 2001 film Black Hawk Down, based on a book of the same name that detailed US actions during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.

The US Navy's SEAL Team 6 also used two specially modified Black Hawks, one of which crashed and had to be destroyed, during their 2011 mission to kill 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden.

What are its specifications?

According to Lockheed, the medium-sized aircraft can hold up to 12 fully-kitted troops — and more without gear — and can be reconfigured to fly passengers or injured troops.

Black Hawks usually have a three-person crew, including a pilot, co-pilot, and crew chief. They have an external hook capable of lifting up to 8,000 pounds, and their top speed is around 170 mph.

The Black Hawk helicopter does not have any dedicated weapons systems, but it is equipped with mounts for machine guns and miniguns. It can also be outfitted with rockets and missiles, among other weaponry.

Who makes the Black Hawk?

According to Lockheed, which now owns original developer Sikorsky, the company has built over 5,000 Black Hawks for three dozen nations since the program's inception.

The aircraft is named after the chief of the Native American Sauk tribe and has accumulated over 15 million flight hours.

Various versions of the aircraft have been released over the past four decades. Lockheed is working on even more advanced versions with more powerful engines that the company says could one day allow it to hover or fly autonomously. The Army has been looking into partnerships that could lead to that degree of autonomy.

What's the Black Hawk's safety record?

Given its extensive use by the US military and numerous overseas operators, there have been a number of Black Hawk crashes over the years, including many incidents that have been fatal due to either human error or mechanical issues.

Last year, an Israeli Black Hawk crashed during operations in Gaza. And in 2023, three separate Black Hawk crashes resulted in the death of 16 American service members. Those accidents included one midair collision, one ground crash, and another into the sea.

In mid-2023, Military.com, citing Army data, reported 60 training-related deaths over the past decade.

What happened just outside DC?

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the American Airlines flight and its crew were undergoing annual proficiency training. The helicopter was part of the 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir, Va.

The 12th Aviation Battalion has a unique mission, ferrying VIP military leaders and government officials throughout the National Capital Region.

"It was a fairly experienced crew," Hegseth said in his statement, adding that the crew had night vision goggles, though it's unclear if the night vision goggles were being used at the time of the crash.

US military pilots routinely train with night vision devices, part of larger military mandates that troops of all ranks perform certain proficiency training as part of their annual requirements. Military pilots are expected to be able to land in areas where a well-lit runway or bright aircraft lights could pose tactical risks, like attracting fire, and must train to perform in ultra-dark conditions.

Night-vision goggles sometimes limit depth perception and peripheral vision, and they can be difficult for new users to acclimate to.

For residents in DC and northern Virginia, it's not uncommon to see Black Hawk helicopters flying up and down I-395 or around the Beltway area.

For one impressive shot of the Pentagon, DoD media officials coordinated a trip with the 12th Aviation Battalion in 2023. Planning for the aerial photography included a detailed flight plan coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and in-air communications with air-traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to deconflict airspace. These are routine 12th Aviation Battalion flight procedures.

The 12th Aviation Battalion helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight inbound to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday evening. All crew members and passengers are presumed dead. The current death toll is at least 67.

The cause of the collision is under investigation.

Mick West, an expert in unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, analyzes recent "drone" sightings and breaks down what we're really seeing in these selected cases.