In a tragic incident on Thursday, a sightseeing helicopter operated by New York Helicopter Tours broke apart in midair and plunged into the Hudson River, resulting in the deaths of a family of five from Spain and their pilot, a Navy SEAL veteran. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is urging federal authorities to take immediate action by revoking the operating permits of the helicopter tour company involved.
During a press conference on Sunday, Schumer emphasized the necessity for New York Helicopter Tours to suspend all flights while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducts an investigation into the deadly crash. He also called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enhance safety inspections of helicopter tour operations, stating that some companies are "cutting corners and putting profits over people."
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children: Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot, Seankese Johnson, 36, was a U.S. Navy veteran who had obtained his commercial pilot’s license in 2023. Schumer noted the importance of taking steps to prevent future tragedies, saying, “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.”
The crash has reignited safety concerns surrounding New York City’s helicopter tour companies, which are a major tourist attraction, offering breathtaking views of iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. Over the past two decades, there have been five incidents involving helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights crashing into the Hudson and East Rivers due to various reasons, including mechanical failures and pilot errors, resulting in the deaths of 20 individuals.
Michael Roth, the president of New York Helicopter Tours, has not responded to inquiries via phone or email. However, the company issued a statement on its website, indicating that it is cooperating with ongoing investigations. In response to Schumer's calls for stricter oversight, the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, an industry group, defended the safety measures already in place, insisting that Manhattan's sightseeing helicopters operate under stringent regulations.
Critics of the helicopter tour industry have long advocated for limitations or an outright ban on nonessential flights over the city, although these efforts have met with limited success. In 2016, New York City capped the number of flights from Manhattan heliports at 30,000 annually, prompting many companies to relocate their operations to New Jersey. A notable incident occurred in 2018 when five people died in a crash involving a helicopter offering "open door" flights, which was caused by a passenger's restraint tether snagging on a fuel switch, thus halting the engine.
As the investigation into Thursday's crash continues, Senator Schumer has highlighted the ongoing search by rescue divers for the helicopter's main rotor and assembly gearbox. These components are expected to provide crucial insights into the cause of the accident, further emphasizing the need for rigorous safety measures in the helicopter tour industry to protect both tourists and pilots alike.
