In the midst of conjecture on the cause of the helicopter crash in New York, the bereaved family of the victims posted a devastating remembrance on Thursday.
It comes after aviation expert Julian Bray hypothesized that the accident might have been caused by a malfunctioning “Jesus nut,” which holds the entire rotor assembly together.
Prior to the catastrophic incident that same day, Siemens’ Spanish president, Agustín Escobar, and his family had only arrived in the city earlier on Thursday.
The 36-year-old pilot was murdered along with Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their four, five, and eleven-year-old children.
Bray explained that the helicopter’s main rotor blades likely detached mid-flight due to a faulty component known as the “Jesus nut.”
Speaking to The Sun, Bray said the spinning blades would have torn through the aircraft’s body as they came loose, causing the helicopter to break apart before crashing into the ocean below.
Dramatic footage captured the chopper’s fatal plunge into the Hudson River, showing the rotor blades separating from the main fuselage. Moments before impact, the Bell 206 helicopter appeared to split in two.
“What seems to have happened,” Bray told The Sun, “is that the main rotor detached — in one video, you can actually see the blades spinning away from the helicopter.”
He continued, “It looks like the blades sliced through the rear half of the aircraft, causing the fuselage to drop straight down into the Hudson River, just opposite Pier 41.”
Bray emphasized the importance of the critical component known as the “Jesus bolt,” which must be inspected every time the helicopter is serviced. “Without it, the entire rotor system can fall apart,” he said.
“It appears that the Jesus bolt — or Jesus pin — was either defective, improperly tightened, or may have sheared off during flight,” Bray added.
In the aftermath of the crash, Joan Camprubí Montal shared a heartfelt letter on X, co-signed by 19 members of the Camprubí Montal and Escobar families.
“Thank you for your support — it’s what keeps us strong,” the message read. “The Escobar-Camprubís will always live on through their joy and vitality. We love you, family.”
The letter was accompanied by a family photo taken in Times Square, with a caption that read, “There are no words to describe what we are going through, nor to express our gratitude for all the warmth and love we’ve received.”
“These are incredibly difficult times,” the family wrote in a heartfelt statement, “but optimism and joy have always been part of who we are. We want to preserve the memory of a happy, united family, captured in one of the sweetest moments of their lives.”
Finding solace in the fact that the young family died together, the relatives shared that they would be traveling to New York to bring their loved ones home.
“They left together, leaving an indelible mark on their family, friends, and all who knew them,” the letter continued.
“In the coming days, we will share the details of the farewell ceremony they so deserve. For now, we kindly ask for the utmost respect and privacy, especially given the global attention this tragedy has received and the presence of three minors among the victims.”
“Your support keeps us strong. The Escobar-Camprubí family will always remain with us, forever in our hearts.”
The message was signed by members of both families:
Escobar Cañadas Family – Agustín, Josefina, María José, Jose, Jose, Irene, and Jorge.
Camprubí Montal Family – Joan, Merche, Joan, Cristina, Berta, Albert, Jan, Bru, Berta, Teo, Alex, and Anna.
At around 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, tragedy struck when the Bell 206 helicopter suddenly plunged into the Hudson River near the New Jersey side.
“It looks like the main rotor struck the body of the helicopter and sliced off the tail, making the situation unrecoverable,” said Jim Brauchle, a former military aviator and attorney with Motley Rice LLC, speaking to DailyMail.com.
While mechanical failure or excessive maneuvering are likely causes, Brauchle emphasized that a full investigation is needed to determine what went wrong.
Justin Green, an aviation lawyer and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, echoed this, calling it a “catastrophic mechanical failure” that gave the pilot no chance to react.
“It appears the main rotors may have collided with the tail boom, breaking it apart and causing the cabin to plummet,” Green said. “They were gone the moment it happened. There’s no sign anyone had control. Once the lift was lost, it was like a rock falling. It’s heartbreaking.”
One eyewitness described the horrifying sound as similar to a “sonic boom.”
Just moments before the crash, photos captured the Escobar-Camprubí family smiling brightly as they prepared for their helicopter tour. Escobar’s wife giggled beside their youngest child, while the older children sat on the helicopter, one giving a thumbs up like their father. Another image showed one of the children laughing, seated next to the pilot.
According to Spanish outlet Antena3, the family was in New York to celebrate one of the children’s birthdays.
Michael Roth, the 71-year-old owner of New York Helicopter — the company that provided the aircraft — told The Telegraph that the helicopter was running low on fuel just before the disaster.
“The pilot radioed that he was landing and needed fuel. It should’ve taken him three minutes to arrive. But twenty minutes later, he still hadn’t shown up,” Roth said.
Roth expressed his sorrow over the incident, saying the footage clearly showed the rotor blades breaking off midair. “In 30 years in the helicopter business, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he told the New York Post. “Maybe it was a bird strike or mechanical failure — I honestly don’t know.”
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more succumbed to injuries in the hospital.
Video from the crash shows the helicopter flying erratically just before it plunged into the river, despite clear skies. All six people onboard — the pilot and the five-member tourist family — were killed.
“Our hearts go out to the families,” said New York Mayor Eric Adams. “All six victims have been recovered from the water, and sadly, all were pronounced dead.”
Late Thursday night, emergency crews worked to remove the wreckage from the muddy Hudson. Images showed twisted metal being lifted by crane from the river.
At 3:19 p.m., Rashmi Kamkeri, a 30-year-old engineer working remotely from her Newport Park apartment, heard a loud crash.
“It was horrifying,” she told DailyMail.com. “I thought it was thunder, but ten seconds later I saw the helicopter just 10 feet above the water before it crashed and disappeared below the surface. I was panicking. I saw a part of the helicopter fall into the water. I was almost in tears praying someone might survive. I’m just so sad.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Agustín Escobar was a highly respected executive with Siemens, where he served for over 27 years. He was most recently the global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility and had served briefly as the CEO of Siemens Spain in 2022. In a post about that role, he thanked his family — his “endless source of energy and happiness” — for their love and patience.
Escobar frequently traveled for work, including recent visits to India and the UK. He was passionate about sustainability in transportation and served since 2023 as Vice President of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain.
Siemens issued a statement on Friday:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustín Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones.”
Camprubí Montal, according to her LinkedIn, had worked nearly seven years at Siemens Energy in Barcelona, holding key roles in digitalization and global commercialization.
Spanish officials confirmed the family resided in Barcelona.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in New York that claimed six lives, including five members of a family from Barcelona,” wrote Catalan regional president Salvador Illa on X.
Another regional official confirmed that Escobar was originally from Puertollano, a town in central Spain. Castilla-La Mancha’s regional president, Emiliano García-Page, also expressed condolences, adding, “In 2023, we named Agustín a Favorite Son of Castilla-La Mancha.”
Since 1977, helicopter crashes in New York City have claimed the lives of at least 32 people.
Five people were killed in the most recent disaster, which occurred in 2018 when a helicopter fell into the East River.
According to the NTSB, the helicopter crashed on March 11, 2018, when the tail of the aircraft became stuck on the fuel shutoff lever.
Every passenger on board perished from drowning. They were identified as Carla Vallejos-Blanco, 29, Trevor Cadigan, 26, Brian McDaniel, 26, and Daniel Thompson, 34.
