Pilot in Hudson River Helicopter Crash Was Navy SEAL Veteran Who Dreamed of Flying, Wife Says

Sean Johnson “always wanted to fly,” his wife said

Sean Johnson died in the the helicopter crash in the Hudson River on Thursday, April 11. Photo: 

The wife of the pilot who was flying the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River is sharing details about the former Navy SEAL veteran.

“ I’m just at a loss for words. I don’t even know what happened,” Kathryn Johnson told Gothamist about the accident that killed her husband, Sean Johnson, and a family of five that was visiting New York City on Thursday, April 10.

The city is shaken after numerous people witnessed the aviation accident on the New Jersey side of the river around 3:15 p.m. local time. Agustín Escobar, chief executive of Siemens’ rail infrastructure division in Spain, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three young children all died.

The family was visiting from Spain and was celebrating Merce’s birthday before the tragedy occurred. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed in a press conference on Friday, April 11.

As the investigation continues, friends and families of those who died are trying to grapple with the news.

Wreckage was pulled from the Hudson River after the tragic helicopter crash on Thursday, April 10.Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Johnson had recently moved to New York City to continue his career as a pilot, Gothamist reported. While Sean and Kathyrn had been separated for the last few months, they were still close and had last spoken to each other the day before the crash, she told the outlet. Kathryn learned about her husband’s death from one of his colleagues.

“It’s just hard right now,” she further noted.

The NTSB confirmed on Friday that Johnson held a commercial pilot certificate and reported 450 hours of total flight experience on his most recent medical report filed in 2024. As of March 29, he’d accumulated approximately 780 hours of total flight time.

Before he became a pilot, Sean also worked on a TV show and was a celebrity bodyguard, his wife told Gothamist. She said he “always wanted to fly.”

According to his Facebook page, Sean, who was originally from Chicago, attended Southern Utah University as he studied to become a commercial pilot from 2021 to 2023. In a Facebook post, Sean shared a video of himself flying over the New York City skyline. “When it all comes together,” wrote Sean. He was flying a Bell 206 helicopter for the tour company New York Helicopters when the crash occurred.

Sean Johnson.Sean Johnson/Facebook

A nearby runner saw the moment of impact, telling WABC that he heard what sounded like a “sonic boom.’

“Literally I just see a helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off in the sky,” he said, referring to the blades atop the craft that give it lift.

The company’s CEO, Michael Roth, told The Telegraph that the pilot of the aircraft radioed base to say they were returning to the helipad to get more fuel shortly before the crash.

“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 said, adding that the company is reeling from the ordeal.

“Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying,” he added. “The death of the child of any human being, is a monumental disaster.”

PEOPLE could not immediately reach New York Helicopters for further comment on the incident. PEOPLE also reached out to the New Jersey Medical Examiner for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

A Navy spokesperson tells PEOPLE, “We extend our deepest condolences to those affected by this tragedy, including the loved ones of our former shipmate.”

Meanwhile, a person who knew Sean from his time with the SEALs wrote a tribute to his friend on Instagram.

“Sean came from very humble beginnings — but he never let that define or limit him,” wrote Remi Adeleke. “If anything, it fueled him. He had a quiet determination, a spirit of resilience, and a heart that always looked out for others.”