The pilot at the center of the April 10 tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River has been identified as 36-year-old Sean Johnson, a Navy veteran who had just recently moved to New York City to chase his dream of flying professionally.
Just two weeks before the crash, Johnson had proudly posted a video to his Facebook page showing himself flying a Bell 206 helicopter over Lower Manhattan. In the comments, friends and colleagues cheered him on, celebrating his journey. He had previously flown in Chicago and was working to continue building his aviation career in NYC.
Johnson was piloting that same type of helicopter when it lost control mid-air and went down near Jersey City. The crash killed Johnson and a Siemens executive visiting from Spain along with his wife and their three young children. Video from the scene showed the helicopter’s rotors separating before the fuselage plunged into the river.
“I’m just at a loss for words. I don’t even know what happened,” said Johnson’s wife, Kathryn Johnson. She said she found out about the crash through one of his former colleagues and is still struggling to process the news. “It’s just hard right now.”
Kathryn shared that although she and Sean had been separated for a few months, they remained close. The last time they spoke was just the day before the crash, though he hadn’t mentioned flying the next day.
Flying had been a lifelong dream for Johnson. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he worked a variety of jobs—including on a TV show and as a bodyguard for celebrities—but Kathryn said his passion for aviation never faded. “He always wanted to fly.”
Friends, former shipmates, and colleagues flooded social media with messages of love and remembrance.
“I saw your posts all the time about how much you wanted to be a pilot and how hard you worked to get there,” wrote one friend. “RIP Sean Johnson, another Shipmate gone too soon.”
Writer and actor Remi Adeleke shared his own tribute on Instagram, saying he met Johnson during their time in the Navy.
“Sean came from very humble beginnings — but he never let that define or limit him. If anything, it fueled him,” Adeleke wrote. “He had a quiet determination, a spirit of resilience, and a heart that always looked out for others.”
The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter, went down less than 20 minutes after taking off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport near the Financial District. When contacted, the company’s CEO declined to comment.
Michael Campbell, a former training captain with New York Helicopter, said safety was always a priority during his time there. “Our maintenance was always on point,” he said. “Any issues we had were addressed.” He said the Bell 206 used in the crash was leased from Louisiana-based Meridian Helicopter.
As the investigation continues, Johnson is being remembered not just as a pilot, but as someone who worked hard, cared deeply, and finally achieved the dream he had chased for so long.
