CHICAGO (WLS) — The pilot killed in a New York City tourist helicopter crash on Thursday was from the Chicago area, a family member confirmed to ABC7.

The chopper — which was operated by the New York Helicopter Tours company — fell into the Hudson River between Lower Manhattan and Hoboken, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon, just over 15 minutes after it departed from the Wall Street Heliport.

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The crash killed pilot Seankese “Sean” Johnson and a family of five Spanish tourists.

A family member tells us Johnson, 36, grew up on Chicago’s South Side.

Johnson served in the military, and ABC7 spoke with a Navy veteran who says he served with Johnson on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot accumulated 788 hours of total flight time. Investigators still need to calculate flight time in the particular helicopter he was flying when it went down.

Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children — aged 4, 8 and 10 years old — have also been identified as victims in the crash.

The family came to New York City to join Escobar, who was in the U.S. for a business trip, according to Jersey City Mayor Fulop.

The sightseeing tour was part of the celebration for the wife’s 40th birthday, Fulop said. The family died one day before the 8-year-old’s birthday, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters four victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others later succumbed to their injuries, she said.

Video from the crash showed the chopper plunging into the water without a tail rotor or a main rotor blade. Officials said it hit the water inverted.

The chopper — identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a Bell 206 helicopter — was on its sixth flight of the day.

It was found upside-down in the 50-degree water when rescuers arrived at the scene, which was closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to sources.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the city has had concerns about the air traffic over the Hudson before and is hoping this brings more attention to their safety concerns.

Divers are working to recover pieces of the helicopter on Friday.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated, the NTSB said during a Friday afternoon press conference.

ABC News contributed to this report.