Latest news with #Bell206
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Helicopter company shuts operations after deadly New York crash, FAA says
New York Helicopter Tours, the company involved in the deadly helicopter crash in New York, is shutting down its operations immediately, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. "Additionally, the FAA will be launching an immediate review of the tour operator's license and safety record," the FAA said in a statement on April 13. Divers from the New York Police Department continued recovery operations on April 13, searching for parts of the helicopter, including the main rotor, gearbox, tail rotor, and a large portion of the tail boom. Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board investigators have begun evaluating the helicopter's flight control system at a "secure location," according to the safety agency. Parts that have already been recovered, such as the cockpit, cabin, horizontal stabilizer finlets, the vertical fin, and a portion of the tail boom, were sent to NTSB laboratories in Washington for inspection. In an update on April 12, the NTSB said no video or camera recorders had been recovered from the Bell 206 helicopter. The agency added that none of the electronic systems and equipment on the aircraft had recorded information that would help the investigation. The aircraft, whose passengers included an executive at tech company Siemens, his wife, and three children, crashed into the Hudson River near Jersey City, New Jersey, on April 10. Video of the incident showed the helicopter plunging into the water, followed moments later by a detached rotor. Divers recovered the victims as well as the pilot from the submerged helicopter. Four people were declared dead at the scene, while two others died later after they were transported to nearby hospitals. Officials have not determined the cause of the crash, but aviation experts previously told USA TODAY that video of the crash appears to indicate a catastrophic failure of the helicopter's rotor. The incident is under investigation by the FAA and NTSB. The helicopter took off at around 3 p.m. on April 10 from a heliport in downtown Manhattan for an aerial tour of the city, authorities said. The aircraft flew north along the Hudson River and later turned south after reaching the George Washington Bridge, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The helicopter then crashed at about 3:15 p.m., hitting the water upside down near Jersey City, authorities said. The victims were later identified as pilot Seankese Johnson, 36, and a family of five visiting from Spain, including Agustin Escobar, his wife, and their three children, ages 4, 8, and 10. Escobar, a senior executive at Siemens, was in New York City on business but extended the trip so he and his family could celebrate his daughter's 9th birthday on April 11, according to Steven Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City. The helicopter was operated by New York Helicopter Charter Inc. and owned by Meridian Helicopters LLC, based in Louisiana. According to the NTSB, the helicopter's last major inspection was on March 1, and it had completed seven tour flights before the crash. The NTSB said on April 12 that its investigators met with representatives from the helicopter operator to review operational records, policies and procedures, safety management systems, and the pilot's experience. NTSB investigators also examined two similar helicopters as part of the probe. 'No words can fill the void': What we know about the New York City helicopter crash investigation The crash renewed safety concerns about the aerial tourism industry. Helicopter tours in New York have been controversial, and some flights have turned deadly, USA TODAY reported. Earlier, on April 13, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged the FAA to revoke the company's operating certificate immediately. Schumer also called on the FAA to increase regulations for helicopter tours, including expanding ramp inspections ‒ surprise safety inspections ‒ at helicopter tour companies across New York City. "There is one thing for sure about New York City's helicopter tour companies, they have a deadly track record," Schumer said at a news conference. "It is usually the companies, not the pilots, that are openly manipulating FAA rules, cutting corners and could well be putting profits over people." Records obtained by USA TODAY showed that New York Helicopter Charter Inc. was previously involved in two safety incidents in 2013 and 2015. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Christopher Cann, and Michael Loria, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Helicopter in deadly New York crash had no flight recorders: NTSB
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FAA grounds helicopter company involved in deadly New York crash
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order grounding the helicopter tour company involved in the deadly crash in New York as federal officials investigate the tragedy. Jason Costello, then-director of operations at New York Helicopter Charter Inc., agreed to shut down operations on April 13 after a Bell 206 helicopter the company operated plunged into the Hudson River, killing six people, according to the FAA. But just sixteen minutes after Costello confirmed this, company CEO Michael Roth fired Costello and told the FAA via email that he did not authorize the halt and that Costello was no longer his employee. 'The immediate firing of the Director of Operations raise serious safety concerns because it appears Mr. Roth retaliated against Mr. Costello for making the safety decision to cease operations during the investigation," FAA officials said in the emergency order, adding that the company no longer has a qualified person serving as director of operations. Roth and someone who answered the phone at New York Helicopter Tours declined to comment when reached by USA TODAY. Attempts to contact Costello were unsuccessful. The helicopter, which is owned by Louisiana-based company Meridian Helicopters LLC, took off at about 3 p.m. April 10 from a heliport in downtown Manhattan for an aerial tour of the city, authorities said. The helicopter crashed about 15 minutes later near Jersey City, New Jersey, officials said. Video of the crash captured the helicopter and a detached rotor descending to the water. The pilot, Seankese Johnson, and passengers Agustin Escobar, his wife and their three children were killed. The crash revived safety concerns about the aerial tourism industry. Helicopter tours in New York have been controversial and in some cases deadly, USA TODAY reported. Records obtained by USA TODAY showed that New York Helicopter Charter Inc. was involved in two earlier safety incidents. The downed helicopter's last major inspection was on March 1, and it completed seven tour flights before the crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The FAA is conducting a review, known as a Certificate Holder Evaluation Program, that will determine whether the operator complies with regulations, effectively manages safety, and identifies hazards and risks, Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau said April 14 on X. If the company does not immediately surrender its air-carrier certificate amid the investigation, it could face "further legal enforcement action, including a civil penalty of up to $17,062 a day for each day it fails to surrender the certificate," according to the order. The NTSB also is investigating the crash. Investigators with the agency have met with representatives from New York Helicopter Charter Inc. to review operational records, policies and procedures, safety management systems and the pilot's experience, the agency said April 12. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Aviation experts have told USA TODAY that footage appears to indicate the helicopter's rotor experienced a catastrophic failure. Contributed: Christopher Cann This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FAA grounds operator of helicopter after New York crash kills six
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Officials ID all victims in NYC helicopter crash: What we know
Officials have identified all six people aboard the sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River near New Jersey as investigators scour the murky water for additional parts of the chopper. Among the six killed in the April 10 crash were pilot Seankese Johnson, 36, and a family of five visiting from Spain, including Agustin Escobar, an executive at tech company Siemens, his wife, and their three children, ages 4, 8 and 10. Escobar was in the city on business but had extended the trip so he and his family could celebrate his daughter's ninth birthday on April 11, according to Steven Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. The Bell 206 helicopter collapsed near Jersey City, New Jersey, around 3:15 p.m. after taking off from a heliport in downtown Manhattan for an aerial tour of the city, officials said. The chopper was operated by New York Helicopter Charter Inc. and was owned by Meridian Helicopters LLC, based in Louisiana. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation into the cause of the crash. In a news conference, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters that dive teams were still searching the waters of the Hudson to locate additional pieces of the helicopter. Homendy urged witnesses to send video and photos of the crash and asked for patience as investigators identify what led to chopper to tumble out of the sky. "We do not speculate, we need to confirm information," she said. "That is a process that takes time." National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference that the agency is investigating reports that there was a large flock of birds in the area at the time of the crash. Homendy said the reports about the birds is "something we will be looking into." Johnson, the pilot of the aircraft, had accumulated hundreds of hours of flight time, Homendy said at a news conference. He held a commercial pilot certificate, and as of March had 788 hours of total flight time, she said. Officials do not yet know how much experience he had aboard the Bell helicopter, which is the model that tumbled into the Hudson River on April 11. The 36-year-old moved to the city recently, according to a Facebook profile. Johnson's profile photo dated to March 28 shows him flying by One World Trade Center and the public page shows photos of him flying by the Willis Tower in his native Chicago. The helicopter pilot was a Navy veteran, according to his profile. Homendy said an NTSB team has began pulling components - including the engine - off the wreckage to begin a comprehensive analysis. She said NYPD divers are still searching for pieces of the helicopter, including its roof and tail structures and the main rotor. She said the NTSB has not identified a preliminary cause of the crash. Video taken by eyewitnesses shows the moment the helicopter fell to the water, appearing to twist rapidly on its descent. Moments after a rotor can be seen falling detached from the aircraft itself. Watch the video: Escobar was with his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, law enforcement sources reportedly told ABC News. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the crash was an "unimaginable tragedy." "Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, and the pilot have lost their lives," Sanchez said. "I sympathize with the victims' loved ones at this heartbreaking time." The Escobar family: Who was the family in the Hudson River helicopter crash? Choppers are big business in New York. They generate $78 million for the city annually and 30,000 flights leave every year from the downtown heliport alone, Jennifer Sun of the city's Economic Development Corporation told City Council last year. But the flights have also been subject to scrutiny over safety concerns – at least 38 people have died in helicopter crashes in the city since 1977 – as well as noise complaints. In fact the council meeting last year where Sun shared flight data was called in response to a 2,000% jump in helicopter noise complaints over five years, Council Member Amanda Farías said at the meeting. Residents and legislators have called for an outright ban of nonessential flights, including sightseeing choppers and commuter flights, which vastly outnumber flights piloted by emergency personnel or media. More: Helicopter tours of NYC have a controversial and deadly history Sightseeing helicopter rides have become a popular part of any New York City tour but the crash on Thursday left many visitors inclined to find another way to view the iconic skyline. On a rainy Friday, Maureen Standing said she and her boyfriend, Sean Maurath could 'view it from the airplane.' The couple from Cleveland arrived last night into LaGuardia Airport, in Queens, said Standing, 46. 'We got a solid view of it all lit up,' Standing, a teacher, said, as the pair exited the subway by the Empire State Building for a nearby museum. "I'm apprehensive about flying these days anyway." The Weiß family from Germany was staying at a hotel in Jersey City, just a few hundred yards from where the chopper plunged into the Hudson River. Broder Weiß said the family had no plans of going on a helicopter ride. The 17-year-old had heard about the skyline tours from friends but his mother is afraid of heights. 'So that kind of stands in the way of that,' said the teenager. His mother's fear didn't stop the Weiß family on Thursday from ascending One World Trade Center, the tallest building in North America. 'I think that's enough view from above,' Weiß said. – Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY It's too early to say what happened to the sightseeing helicopter, but video of the aircraft careening into the river makes it clear there was some kind of catastrophic failure of the rotor, said Jim Brauchle, an aviation attorney with Motley Rice LLC who has represented families of crashes and a former Air Force navigator. Video shows what appears to be a detached rotor falling moments after the helicopter hit the water. "When you see the rotor detaching, two things come to mind. One is there was some type of mechanical or structural failure that made it separate. Second is this phenomenon called 'mast bumping,'" Brauchle told USA TODAY. Mast bumping happens when the rotor blade of the helicopter tilts too far down and strikes the helicopter, which can cut the tail of the helicopter off and appears to be what happened to this craft, he said. It can happen when a pilot makes too abrupt of a maneuver such as a quick dive or climb. It's not a terribly common phenomenon, but it's happened before, particularly in smaller helicopters that have two rotor blades, Brauchle said. That's common for sightseeing helicopters. 'I haven't seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business,' New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth told the New York Post. 'The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don't know.' 'This is horrific,' Roth said. 'But you gotta remember something, these are machines and they break.' A mechanical failure is also possible, Brauchle said. Metal fatigue can set in with the rotors after they're used for a long time. Brauchle said tourism helicopters are among the most used because they're out flying for hours every day, sometimes in harsh weather. Regular maintenance is important to prevent disasters, but some parts failures might not be detectible in an inspection, he said. Brauchle said he helped represent the families of victims of a 2009 disaster involving a sightseeing helicopter that collided with a private plane over the Hudson River. "It was this same kind of thing where parents and children got killed, and I just remember the devastation of those families. So really, my heart goes out to the relatives of the people that got killed, because it's just an unbearable loss," he said. The chairman of a helicopter industry group said the crash has "devastated" the community. "All of our thoughts – and the thoughts of a nation - are with the families and loved ones of the victims during this unimaginable time," said Jeff Smith, the chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council. Smith said the helicopter community would cooperate and assist in the investigation to ensure nothing like this happens again. "Safety is the cornerstone of our industry, and any loss of life is a profound tragedy that reminds us of the heavy responsibility we bear every day," he family was on a sightseeing helicopter tour with the company New York Helicopter, which charges hundreds of dollars per person for aerial tours of various landmarks in the city, according to its website. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, but said they believe the helicopter fell into the water "inverted." Video of the crash appears to show the helicopter plummeting into the water followed by a detached helicopter blade seconds later. The helicopter's landing gear could be seen emerging from the water as rescue crews swarmed the area afterward. AccuWeather said the skies were cloudy with a southeast wind at 10 to 15 mph at the time of the crash. USA TODAY has reached out to the New York Police Department, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration for more information into the investigation. Contributing: Donovan Slack, Trevor Hughes, Eduardo Cuevas and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Helicopter crash in Hudson River: Pilot, family of 5 ID'd by officials
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Helicopter 'suddenly' broke apart before plunging into Hudson River, NTSB says
A sightseeing helicopter that crashed in New York City's Hudson River in April, killing all six people on board, "suddenly" broke apart before plummeting into the water, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report. The single-engine Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, departed on April 10 at about 2:58 p.m. from a downtown Manhattan helicopter pad and later flew north over the Hudson River before crashing about 17 minutes later, according to the NTSB report released on May 7. A family of five from Spain, along with a pilot, were all killed in the incident, authorities said. Surveillance footage and audio captured the helicopter traveling south before it "suddenly separated into three major sections," the NTSB said in the report. The sections were recovered in the wreckage and identified: the fuselage with the engine; the main rotor system with both rotor blades; transmission and roof-beam structure; and the tail boom with the tail rotor. "Several witnesses described hearing several loud 'bangs' emanating from the helicopter before it broke up and descended into the river," according to the report. Debris from the helicopter was discovered submerged in several areas in the river and on the surface of the river, the NTSB said in the report. Debris was also recovered from a rooftop near the Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub in New Jersey. The crash drew worldwide headlines and renewed scrutiny over the controversial helicopter tourism industry in New York. The incident remains under investigation by the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration. The NTSB's preliminary report did not conclude what may have caused the crash. It typically takes about a year or more before the NTSB determines a probable cause and a final report is released. High above the city, low on oversight: Are helicopter tours putting lives at risk? The family from Spain, which included an executive at tech company Siemens, his wife, and three children, was on an aerial sightseeing tour with New York Helicopter Tours, authorities said. During the flight, the helicopter "flew a teardrop pattern" south of the Statue of Liberty and traveled north along the east side of the Hudson River, according to the report. The aircraft then flew past the George Washington Bridge before it made a U-turn and went south along the New Jersey side of the river. As the helicopter approached the Holland Tunnel's ventilation towers near Jersey City, New Jersey, it was flying at an altitude between 625 to 650 feet, the NTSB said in the report. The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects Lower Manhattan in New York City to Jersey City. The helicopter's altitude then increased 675 feet before it rapidly descended and hit the water, according to the report. Crews and investigators spent days recovering the wreckage. The NTSB said in the report that the helicopter was not equipped with video or data recording devices. "Photos of the pilot taken just before the helicopter departed indicated that he was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which had video and audio recording capability," according to the report. "The sunglasses were not recovered." The helicopter airframe had accrued 12,975 total hours of operation, and the engine had accrued a total of 23,305 hours of operation, the NTSB said in the report. The helicopter's most recent inspection was conducted in late February, and it had operated about 50 hours since then. The pilot worked a 10-day on, 10-day off schedule, and the crash occurred during his first day back at work, according to the report. The flight was his eighth tour excursion of the day on the same helicopter. Flying feels riskier. Here's what the experts say about that high number of accidents. The incident renewed safety concerns over the commercial helicopter industry, and aviation experts have long called for stricter regulations to improve the safety of these flights. Helicopter tours in New York have been controversial, and some flights have turned deadly, USA TODAY reported. The United States operates the world's largest fleet of commercial helicopters and is home to the biggest market for helicopter tourism in destinations like New York City, Hawaii, and the Grand Canyon. According to the FAA, helicopters have a fatal accident rate of 0.63 per 100,000 flight hours for helicopters, which is lower than the general aviation average but higher than commercial airline rates. Following the crash, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged the FAA to revoke New York Helicopter Tours' operating certificate immediately. Schumer also called on the FAA to increase regulations for helicopter tours, including expanding ramp inspections — surprise safety inspections — at helicopter tour companies across New York City. On April 14, the FAA issued an emergency order grounding the helicopter tour company. The order came a day after the agency had announced that the company was shutting down its operations. Contributing: Kathleen Wong and Zach Wichter, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fatal NYC helicopter crash: Aircraft broke apart before plummeting
International Business Times
08-05-2025
- General
- International Business Times
NTSB Report Reveals Helicopter that Crashed into Hudson River Killing Six Made 'Loud Bangs' Before Breaking into Pieces
The tourist helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last month, killing a family of five and the pilot, was making "loud bangs" before it broke into three parts, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday. The NTSB report revealed that witnesses heard explosive sounds coming from the New York Helicopter Tours aircraft while it was flying above the Hudson River just a few moments before the fatal crash on April 10. Right after the explosive sounds were heard, security footage captured the moment the helicopter lost control before breaking into three main components: the fuselage, the main rotor, and the tail boom. Big Bang and an Explosion The Bell 206 helicopter crashed into the Hudson River only 17 minutes after taking off. The NTSB has not yet determined the exact cause of the deadly crash and said that the investigation is still ongoing. Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive from Spain, along with his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children—ages four, eight, and ten—were killed when the sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River. The family was visiting New York on vacation to celebrate one of their daughters' birthdays. Dramatic footage showed a rotor blade falling into the water. Aviation specialists believe the helicopter likely crashed after the main rotor blades detached from it and struck the tail section. The NTSB's preliminary report also revealed that the pilot, Sean Johnson, had recently returned from a 10-day vacation. Johnson followed a 10-days-on, 10-days-off work schedule, a standard procedure followed by pilots. He had over 790 hours of flying experience, and the fatal flight was his eighth of the day. The previous seven flights in the same helicopter had all gone smoothly. During the flight, Johnson was wearing smart sunglasses equipped with video and audio recording features, but the device was never found at the crash scene. A Lot Still Remains Unanswered Pieces of the helicopter were found as far away as Hoboken, New Jersey, including on a rooftop near a transit facility, according to the report. Michael Roth, 71, the owner of New York Helicopter—the company that operated the tour—claimed the helicopter was running low on fuel before it went down. "He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn't arrive," Roth told The Telegraph. Roth said that he was devastated by the crash and concurred with other aviation experts who believe the footage indicates that the main rotor blades had broken off from the helicopter. "The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren't on the helicopter," he told the New York Post. "And I haven't seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business. The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don't know." At the time of the crash, it was cloudy, and winds were ranging from 10 to 15 mph, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph. Although the skies were overcast due to an approaching weather system bringing light rain later in the day, visibility at ground level was clear at around 10 miles. The water temperature was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
