Helicopter Lands In The Hudson River Sunday: The Copter Loses Power, But Everyone On Board Is Fine

A helicopter lands in the Hudson River Sunday because of an emergency when the helicopter lost power while in the air. The pilot and the five passengers were unharmed from the landing.

The helicopter lands in the Hudson River after Mark Campbell, the pilot told reporters that he heard a "big boom." This sightseeing helicopter was carrying a family of four, north up the Hudson River from the Wall Street Heliport.

Pontoons deployed, and the craft stayed upright and afloat as the helicopter lands on the Hudson River near 79th street by the New York City Marina around noon Sunday.

"At the beginning, we thought maybe it was an exercise," Sebastien Berthelet who was on a boat and watched the landed told CBS News, but then "when he hit the water, it was hard." 

Campbell's effort was not unnoticed. 

"This is a pilot that knew exactly what he was doing at the time he was doing it," NYC Office of Emergency Management Deputy Commissioner Frank McCarton told CBS Station WCBS.

Campbell said he was just doing his job, which required him not to panic and get the people on board to safety and according to Campbell, that is what he had to do.

"The pilot did a terrific job considering he'd lost his engine power," Deputy Fire Chief Thomas McKavanaugh told CBS Reuters.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said that the helicopter was floating and was being towed ashore by the Coast Guard, she said.

"If I panicked, I knew it wouldn't be a very good ending," the 23-year-old Campbell said.