Authorities have identified the pilot involved in Thursday’s devastating Hudson River helicopter crash as 36-year-old Sean Johnson, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran who had recently relocated to New York City to advance his aviation career.

Johnson was piloting a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV when it tragically went down near Jersey City, killing him and all five passengers—a family visiting from Spain.

According to his family, Johnson had proudly shared his passion for flying.

On March 27, just two weeks before the crash, he posted a video of himself flying over Lower Manhattan in the same model helicopter.

The post received congratulations from colleagues and friends, celebrating his progress in the aviation industry.

Prior to flying in New York, Johnson had also worked as a pilot in Chicago.

The crash occurred at approximately 3:15 p.m. after Johnson radioed in to report a fuel shortage while returning to refuel.

Moments later, the helicopter reportedly experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure, with its main rotor blades detaching mid-flight.

The fuselage then plummeted upside down into the Hudson River, creating a massive splash near Pier 40.

Witnesses described hearing a loud “boom” as the chopper crashed.

The passengers—Agustín Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three young children—had just arrived in New York City from Barcelona to celebrate the birthday of their daughter, Mercè, who would have turned nine that day.

The children were identified as Agustín Jr., 10, Mercè, 8, and Víctor, 4.

The family had embarked on a sightseeing tour around Manhattan that included views of the Statue of Liberty before the helicopter malfunctioned.

Escobar was the global CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, while Camprubí Montal worked as a global commercialization manager at Siemens Energy. She was also the granddaughter of Agustí Montal Costa, a former president of FC Barcelona.

The helicopter went down just 16 minutes after takeoff. Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others died later at the hospital.

Harrowing video footage captured the rotor-less aircraft falling into the river.

The wreckage was later recovered as emergency dive operations extended into Friday.

Johnson’s wife, Kathryn Johnson, expressed her devastation in an interview, saying she was notified of the tragedy by one of her husband’s former colleagues.

“I’m just at a loss for words. I don’t even know what happened. It’s just hard right now,” she said. Though they had been separated for a few months, she said they remained close and had spoken just the day before the crash.

Kathryn shared that her husband had served as a SEAL and gunner’s mate in the U.S. Navy, repairing equipment and supporting missions before pursuing a diverse career that included working on television sets and as a celebrity bodyguard. Despite these varied roles, aviation remained his true passion.

Tributes from Johnson’s friends, former colleagues, and fellow service members poured in on social media.

One friend wrote, “I saw your posts all the time about how much you wanted to be a pilot and how hard you worked to get there. RIP Sean Johnson, another shipmate gone too soon.”

New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth also expressed his heartbreak over the tragedy. “I’m a father and grandfather—having children onboard makes this even more devastating,” Roth said. He speculated that the crash might have been caused by either a bird strike or a catastrophic rotor failure, but emphasized that he was still unsure of the exact cause.

“These are machines, and they break. It’s horrific,” he added.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are currently investigating the crash to determine the precise cause of the incident.