The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Sunday announced that New York Helicopter Tours , the company whose sightseeing chopper broke apart midair and plunged into the Hudson River last week, killing six people, is ceasing operations immediately. The move comes amid mounting pressure from federal lawmakers and renewed scrutiny of the city’s helicopter tour industry.
“The FAA is initiating an immediate review of New York Helicopter Tours’ operating license and safety record,” the agency said in a statement posted on X, hours after US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged regulators to revoke the company’s license.
Thursday’s crash killed all on board — pilot Sean Johnson, 36, a US Navy veteran, and five members of a visiting family from Spain: Agustín Escobar, 49, a Siemens executive; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; and their children Agustín, 10; Mercedes, 8; and Víctor, 4. The family had arrived in New York from Barcelona that same day.
Schumer, speaking before the FAA announcement, called the crash “a tragic consequence of regulatory loopholes,” and demanded a crackdown on tour operators. “One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: they have a deadly track record.”
The helicopter was operating under FAA’s “Part 91” regulations, a category with looser safety and training standards compared to stricter commercial flight rules. “The rules under Part 91 just aren’t strict enough when people’s lives are on the line,” Schumer said, warning that these relaxed requirements allow companies to "cut corners and put profits over people."
The ill-fated chopper had been on its eighth flight of the day when witnesses saw it trailing smoke before it spiralled out of control and slammed into the river. Video footage captured parts of the rotor flying off midair. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), now leading the investigation, said the crash occurred less than 20 minutes after takeoff from a Manhattan heliport.
Authorities believe a mechanical failure may have caused the main rotor to strike the tail, resulting in catastrophic midair disintegration. NTSB officials confirmed that the aircraft’s main rotor and transmission are still missing, and no final determination will be made until those components are recovered.
New York Helicopter Tours has a troubled history. FAA records reveal that the aircraft, built in 2004, had a documented transmission issue last year. In 2013, one of its helicopters lost power mid-flight, though the pilot safely landed. The company has previously filed for bankruptcy and faces several lawsuits over unpaid debts.
Schumer also called for increased FAA ramp inspections for all tour operators, including FlyNYON — another operator under scrutiny after a 2018 crash in the East River killed five people. A recent jury found FlyNYON liable for that incident.
Industry advocates pushed back, with the Eastern Region Helicopter Council stating that New York sightseeing flights “already operate under the most stringent of regulations.” But critics argue that nonessential helicopter flights in densely populated areas like Manhattan remain a persistent safety hazard.
After a 2016 city cap limited Manhattan heliport flights to 30,000 annually, many operators moved to nearby New Jersey. Nonetheless, five sightseeing helicopters have crashed into the Hudson or East River over the past two decades, killing 20 people.
“The FAA is initiating an immediate review of New York Helicopter Tours’ operating license and safety record,” the agency said in a statement posted on X, hours after US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged regulators to revoke the company’s license.
Thursday’s crash killed all on board — pilot Sean Johnson, 36, a US Navy veteran, and five members of a visiting family from Spain: Agustín Escobar, 49, a Siemens executive; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; and their children Agustín, 10; Mercedes, 8; and Víctor, 4. The family had arrived in New York from Barcelona that same day.
Schumer, speaking before the FAA announcement, called the crash “a tragic consequence of regulatory loopholes,” and demanded a crackdown on tour operators. “One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: they have a deadly track record.”
The helicopter was operating under FAA’s “Part 91” regulations, a category with looser safety and training standards compared to stricter commercial flight rules. “The rules under Part 91 just aren’t strict enough when people’s lives are on the line,” Schumer said, warning that these relaxed requirements allow companies to "cut corners and put profits over people."
The ill-fated chopper had been on its eighth flight of the day when witnesses saw it trailing smoke before it spiralled out of control and slammed into the river. Video footage captured parts of the rotor flying off midair. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), now leading the investigation, said the crash occurred less than 20 minutes after takeoff from a Manhattan heliport.
Authorities believe a mechanical failure may have caused the main rotor to strike the tail, resulting in catastrophic midair disintegration. NTSB officials confirmed that the aircraft’s main rotor and transmission are still missing, and no final determination will be made until those components are recovered.
New York Helicopter Tours has a troubled history. FAA records reveal that the aircraft, built in 2004, had a documented transmission issue last year. In 2013, one of its helicopters lost power mid-flight, though the pilot safely landed. The company has previously filed for bankruptcy and faces several lawsuits over unpaid debts.
Schumer also called for increased FAA ramp inspections for all tour operators, including FlyNYON — another operator under scrutiny after a 2018 crash in the East River killed five people. A recent jury found FlyNYON liable for that incident.
Industry advocates pushed back, with the Eastern Region Helicopter Council stating that New York sightseeing flights “already operate under the most stringent of regulations.” But critics argue that nonessential helicopter flights in densely populated areas like Manhattan remain a persistent safety hazard.
After a 2016 city cap limited Manhattan heliport flights to 30,000 annually, many operators moved to nearby New Jersey. Nonetheless, five sightseeing helicopters have crashed into the Hudson or East River over the past two decades, killing 20 people.
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