NEW YORK — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Sunday that it is shutting down the operations of a helicopter tour company after a tragic accident in New York City. The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, broke apart mid-flight and crashed into the Hudson River, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and a family of five from Spain.
Following the crash, which occurred on Thursday, FAA stated it would review the company’s operating license and safety records. This decision came in light of calls from New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who urged federal authorities to revoke the company’s operating permits and halt all flights during the ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The victims were identified as Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot, Seankese Johnson, 36, was a U.S. Navy veteran who had recently obtained his commercial pilot’s license.
At a press conference, Schumer emphasized the need for enhanced safety measures, pointing to a concerning track record among New York’s helicopter tour companies. “To honor those lives taken too soon, we must ensure such a tragedy doesn’t happen again,” he said, expressing frustration with the industry’s history of accidents.
The recent crash has once again raised serious safety concerns over New York’s helicopter tours, which attract many tourists eager for aerial views of iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. According to reports, there have been multiple accidents involving commercial sightseeing helicopters in the past two decades, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 people due to mechanical failures and pilot errors.
Michael Roth, president of New York Helicopter Tours, did not immediately respond to inquiries but stated that the company is cooperating fully with investigators. In response to calls for stricter oversight, the Eastern Region Helicopter Council defended the industry, claiming that the helicopter tours are already subject to stringent regulations.
Critics of helicopter tours have long sought to impose stricter regulations or even eliminate nonessential flights over the city. In 2016, New York City introduced a cap on the number of helicopter flights allowed annually from Manhattan heliports to 30,000, prompting some companies to relocate to New Jersey.
In a previous incident in 2018, five people lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the East River when a passenger’s restraint got caught on a fuel switch, leading to engine failure. The cause of the recent crash is still under investigation, with rescue divers searching for the main rotor and assembly gear box for further clues.
