Birthday girl’s last smile: Final photo shows young child excitedly sitting in helicopter cockpit… 16 minutes before plummeting to her death beside her parents and siblings in Hudson River disaster

Beaming with excitement, an eight-year-old girl posed in a helicopter cockpit on the eve of her ninth birthday, ready to enjoy a scenic tour over New York City with her family. Just 16 minutes later, tragedy struck.

The helicopter crashed into the Hudson River at 3:15 p.m., killing the young girl, her 10-year-old brother, four-year-old sister, and both parents — Agustin Escobar, a Siemens executive, and Merce Camprubi Montal.

The family, visiting from Barcelona, had just arrived in New York to celebrate the girl’s birthday, which would have been the next day. They were also reportedly marking Merce’s 40th birthday during the vacation.