A haunting radio call made by the pilot of a sightseeing helicopter just moments before it plunged into New York City's Hudson River has been released.

The catastrophe, one of the deadliest helicopter crashes in New York City in nearly two decades, occurred around 3.15pm on Thursday, April 10, near the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, just off Lower Manhattan. The helicopter took off from the Wall Street Heliport and circled near the Statue of Liberty before soaring up the Hudson River when, a mere 16 minutes into the flight, disaster struck.

Shocking footage circulating on social media shows the helicopter hurtling from the sky before crash-landing in the water. Agustín Escobar, the president of the Spanish division of tech giant Siemens, along with his wife and three children, perished in the crash.

The identities of Escobar's wife and children have not been disclosed to the public. The other casualty of the aircraft crash was the pilot, whose name has also remained undisclosed by authorities.

Following the tragic incident, Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopters, confirmed that the aircraft ran out of fuel just minutes into their journey. He recounted what could be one of the last radio calls made by the pilot moments before the crash, reports the Mirror.

"He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn't arrive,' Roth told The Telegraph.Roth revealed that he began receiving messages before another one of his pilots flew over the Hudson "and saw the helicopter upside down."

Roth added: "We're all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying. The death of the child of any human being, is a monumental disaster."

It's understood that the Escobar family had only arrived in New York City earlier on Thursday and prioritised the sightseeing trip. Haunting images have emerged showing the tech boss, his wife and their three children posing outside and seated inside the helicopter moments before their deaths.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the chopper "split in half" before it crashed near Pier 40, with one man describing the stricken aircraft making a noise akin to a "sonic boom."

The cause of the Bell 206 aircraft's fatal descent during the Escobars' ill-fated tour has yet to be determined.

After the catastrophic incident, President Donald Trump extended his sympathies to the families and friends of the victims. On Truth Social, Trump referred to the calamity as a "terrible helicopter crash" and mentioned that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, along with his team, were looking into the matter. The 78-year-old head of state also stated: "Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly."

Investigators are still working to ascertain the precise cause of the helicopter crash.