The pilot of the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, killing all six people onboard, has been identified as 36-year-old Sean Johnson. Johnson was a Navy SEAL veteran. “Sean Johnson posted a video on his Facebook page on March 27, showing himself over Lower Manhattan in a Bell 206 helicopter. He had previously flown in Chicago, according to his profile,” Breaking Aviation News & Videos wrote. “After his time in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL and gunner’s mate responsible for fixing equipment, Johnson took on a variety of jobs, including on a TV show and as a bodyguard for celebrities, his wife said. But through it all, Kathryn added, he ‘always wanted to fly,'” it added. Pilot of the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River yesterday has been identified as 36-year-old Navy SEALs veteran Sean Johnson. Sean Johnson posted a video on his Facebook page on March 27, showing himself over Lower Manhattan in a Bell 206 helicopter. He had previously… pic.twitter.com/nX0g4jik6w — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) April 11, 2025 From the New York Post: Friends congratulated him in their comments, with one telling him he was “living the dream” and another praising his accomplishments over the past year. Johnson had worked in television and as a bodyguard to celebrities before recently moved to New York City to continue his aviation career, Gothamist reported, citing his wife. He was operating a doomed Bell 206 on Thursday as part of a sightseeing tour for a family of five from Barcelona. It’s unclear if the chopper he was flying in the Facebook footage was the same helicopter he was operating this week when it crashed, killing him and the five tourists. It took authorities an hour to recover his body because the wreckage was so mangled, law-enforcement sources said. Pilot of doomed Hudson River helicopter ID’d as Navy SEAL veteran who had posted chilling video month before death https://t.co/Pi3xc09Aiu pic.twitter.com/HzSJWrr3bJ — New York Post (@nypost) April 11, 2025 Please pray for the family and friends of Sean Johnson, the former Navy SEAL who was the pilot of the helicopter that crashed in NYC yesterday. Our hearts break for them. https://t.co/hrGjNQJP0b pic.twitter.com/GMP9yHR7Hz — Christian Tweets (@JesusSavesUs777) April 11, 2025 Per Gothamist: Kathryn said she and her husband had been separated for the last few months, but were still close. She said they last spoke on Wednesday, though he did not mention any plans for a flight the next day. Johnson’s friends, former colleagues and shipmates took to social media Friday to express condolences. “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 Erika Gracious. “RIP Sean Johnson, another Shipmate gone too soon.” Remi Adeleke wrote on Instagram that he met Johnson in the Navy. Johnson, he said, had realized his dream of becoming a pilot. “Sean came from very humble beginnings — but he never let that define or limit him. If anything, it fueled him,” posted Adeleke, a writer and actor. “He had a quiet determination, a spirit of resilience and a heart that always looked out for others.” The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration continued to investigate the cause of the crash Friday. Peter Goelz, a former managing director at the NTSB, said in an interview on CNN that the incident was “a catastrophic failure and very unusual,” and noted investigators would examine the wreckage, video footage and aircraft company records.