Moments before the crash, the pilot reportedly radioed the base, alerting them that the helicopter was low on fuel and needed to return to the helipad. Michael Roth, owner of New York Helicopter, said the pilot signaled he was landing, but never made it back. Witnesses and video footage suggest the aircraft broke apart in the sky,
though the cause remains under investigation. NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisc confirmed the helicopter “lost control and hit the water,” and the aviation community is reeling in the aftermath. Devastating images of the family, taken just before takeoff, now serve as haunting reminders of the lives lost.