A legal dispute has erupted in New York over the death of the Spanish Escobar-Camprubí family, who died a year ago in a tourist helicopter crash over the Hudson River. The victims’ relatives have filed a lawsuit against New York Helicopter Charter Inc. and its owner, Michael Roth, accusing them of negligence and demanding compensation for damages caused. The lawsuit asserts that violations in flight operation and aircraft maintenance led to the tragedy that claimed the lives of five family members, including three children.
Allegations against the operator
According to court documents, the Bell 206L-4 helicopter departed from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on the afternoon of April 10, 2025, and soon broke apart mid-air off the coast of New Jersey. The lawsuit claims the company failed to properly monitor the technical condition of the aircraft, did not conduct the necessary inspection of the blades for signs of delamination, and did not ensure the pilot, who also died, was adequately trained. The victims’ relatives are demanding a jury trial and both compensatory and punitive damages.
Company response and investigation details
The company owner, Michael Roth, denied the allegations of violations, stating that he himself was suffering the consequences of the tragedy and did not have the resources to conduct an independent investigation. According to him, the cause of the disaster could have been defective rotor blades, and the helicopter itself had been leased from another company. After the accident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) demanded that the company suspend operations until the investigation was completed, but Roth refused to comply with this request and dismissed the chief operating officer. As a result, the FAA decided to close the company, citing violations in management procedures.
Financial difficulties and background
New York Helicopter Charter Inc. had already faced financial problems and lawsuits: in the eight years prior to the tragedy, the company was repeatedly accused of failing to pay debts, and three months before the disaster, it was sued for more than $1.4 million for non-payment of helicopter lease. In 2013, the operator had already experienced an incident involving a forced landing, but there were no casualties at that time.
Remembrance and aftermath
As a result of the crash, Agustín Escobar, head of Siemens Mobility, his wife Mercè Camprubí, also a top executive at the company, and their three children—Mercè, Agustín, and Víctor—lost their lives. The family was visiting New York as tourists. On the anniversary of the tragedy, relatives announced the establishment of the Escobar Camprubí Foundation to support educational initiatives and help those in need. The foundation’s first charity event was held in Barcelona.
The issue of helicopter transport safety in the United States has once again come into the spotlight: at the beginning of the month, a group of congressmen introduced a bill to significantly tighten regulations for operators. Over the past decades, at least 32 people have died in similar accidents in New York. Questions about company oversight and accountability have also emerged in other high-profile cases—for example, after the tragedy at El Bocal beach, where, as reported in the investigation materials in Santander, officials were also put under investigation for negligence.
