A sightseeing helicopter plunged from the sky into the Hudson River on Thursday, turning a family outing above Manhattan’s misty skyline into a tragedy.

Five of the victims late Thursday were identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press.

Six people died when a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River Thursday afternoon. Officials said the dead included a family from Spain as well as the pilot.

Video of the crash showed what appeared to be a large object plunging into the river, followed seconds later by what appeared to be a helicopter blade. Afterwards, emergency and p

A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday afternoon, killing all six people on board. One witness said she saw the aircraft "kept spinning in the air" before falling into the river.

A tourist helicopter crashed in New York's Hudson River off lower Manhattan on Thursday afternoon, killing all six people on board. It was the latest in a series of accidents involving choppers operating around the city in recent years.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene with two others being pronounced dead after being taken to local hospitals The New York Police Department (NYPD) has said a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River and killed all six people onboard including a family of five from Spain.

Five people have been pulled from the water, according to two people briefed on the rescue efforts. Their condition was not yet known.

The victims are three adults and three children, New York authorities say, including a family visiting from Spain.