Before a Fatal Helicopter Crash, 2 Midair Breakdowns and Unpaid Bills NYT | Top Stories By: Patrick McGeehan, Michael Rothfeld and Christopher Maag 12 April 2025 at 15:00 The charter firm whose helicopter plunged into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five, had been struggling financially, records show. © Adam Gray for The New York TimesFederal investigators were working to determine the cause of the crash, which killed the pilot and a family of five on a sightseeing tour.