The father of the family who perished in the crash has been named as Agustin Escobar.
Escobar, 49, was born in Puertollano, a small city in central Spain, according to
The New York Times.
He worked as the Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility in a career that spanned over 27 years. He began his tenure in 1998 as the head of sales and project management of Power Automation systems in Madrid, working his way up to various management positions before being named Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure last October.
Previously, he served as the CEO of Siemens Spain. On his LinkedIn profile, Escobar said that he was now based in Berlin.
Just a day before the crash, Escobar posted about his company’s latest rail project being launched in the UK.
“What an inspiring example of investment in rail infrastructure and technology! Looking forward to seeing the innovation that will emerge from this new center,” he wrote.
A Siemens spokesperson said in a statement to
The Independent Friday: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones.”
Emiliano García-Page, the Puertollano region’s leader, said the city now “mourns the loss of one of its most brilliant sons,” as per a
social media post.
Mercè Camprubí Montal
Escobar’s wife has been identified as Mercè Camprubí Montal. She worked for Siemens Energy in Barcelona as the global commercialization manager for the digital team.
According to several Spanish media outlets, Montal was the granddaughter of former FC Barcelona president, economist and businessman, Agustí Montal Costa (1969-1977) and the great-granddaughter of Agustín Montal i Galobart, who served at the club from 1946 to 1952.
Her brother, Joan Camprubí Montal, reportedly submitted his candidacy for the presidency of FC Barcelona in October 2024.
Before starting at Siemen’s as a regional sales manager in Catalonia, Spain, in April 2009, Montal studied at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona and the IESE Business School.
She formerly worked as the head of strategy and business development for the company’s South America operation in Bogota, Colombia, from 2013 to 2018.
Her husband worked as the CEO of infrastructure and cities for South America from the same office at the time. Both moved back to Spain in 2018.
The mother of three’s Facebook page showed happy family photos together with their young children. The most recent photo with two of her children pictured her smiling while embracing during a ski vacation.
An older photo from 2015 showed the couple sitting in a yacht in a sunny marina.
Three children aged 10, 8, and 4
The couple’s three children were on board the tourist flight.
Family members confirmed the identities of the three children as Agustín, 10, Mercè, 8 and Víctor, 4.
Mercè would have turned nine on Friday.
The family was staying at the Hotel Riu Plaza in Times Square, reports
The Daily Beast.
Seankese Johnson, the helicopter pilot
The pilot, Seankese Johnson, 36, received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and had logged about 800 hours of flight time as of March, National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told reporters on Friday.
Recently, he posted a photo on Facebook of him piloting a helicopter with Manhattan in the background. In 2023, he posted that he was flying a firefighting helicopter.
“Long hours and painstaking work to get to this moment. Thank you for all the love and support from those who’ve helped me get here,” Johnson wrote.
Johnson transitioned to aviation after a career in the Navy, the Associated Press reported.
He enlisted in 2006 and served until 2018, achieving the rank of Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class, Defense Department records show. He was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan from 2007 to 2011 and in San Diego from 2011 to 2018, serving in the Special Warfare Unit, the Special Warfare Logistics Support Unit, and the Coastal Riverine Squadron.