Latest news with #LongRangerIV
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
FAA issues emergency order grounding New York Helicopter Charter amid deadly Hudson River crash
New York Helicopter Charter, Inc., has been grounded via an emergency order from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a helicopter operated by the company crashed in the Hudson River last week, killing a family of five and the pilot. The FAA's decision comes after the helicopter company fired its director of operations following his decision to shut down flights. "The FAA is taking this action in part because after the company's director of operations voluntarily shut down flights, he was fired," the FAA said in a statement. 6 Dead, Including 3 Children, After Helicopter Plummets In Hudson River The FAA also announced it is completing a comprehensive review of the company's operations. "The review, known as a Certificate Holder Evaluation Program (CHEP), determines whether an operator complies with applicable regulation and effectively manages safety, and identifies hazards and risks so the FAA and operator can mitigate them," the agency said. Read On The Fox News App The FAA previously announced that it would continue to support the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation into the crash, while also launching an immediate review of the tour operator's license and safety record "The FAA is already analyzing airplane/helicopter hotspots nationwide, and we will be hosting a helicopter safety panel on April 22 to discuss the findings, risks, and additional mitigation options," the FAA added. "Safety is the FAA's number one priority, and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public." The ill-fated New York City tour helicopter – a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV – came apart midair on Thursday afternoon before falling into the water upside down near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey, killing a Spanish family of five and the aircraft's Navy SEAL veteran pilot. 'Everything Is On The Table' As Ntsb Investigates Deadly Hudson River Tour Helicopter Crash The pilot, as well as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal; and their three young children, were pulled from the water by divers and pronounced dead. New York Helicopter Charter's suspension will remain in place until the necessary personnel and safety protocols are in place. The company was also told to surrender its Air Carrier Certificate pending the outcome of the FAA's article source: FAA issues emergency order grounding New York Helicopter Charter amid deadly Hudson River crash
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NYC helicopter tour company shuts down after Hudson River crash that killed 6: FAA
New York Helicopter Tours, the company that owned the helicopter that plummeted into the Hudson River near the New Jersey shoreline last Thursday, killing all six people on board, is shutting down its operations immediately, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA made the announcement on Sunday, saying it will continue to support the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation into the crash, while also launching an immediate review of the tour operator's license and safety record. "The FAA is already analyzing airplane/helicopter hotspots nationwide, and we will be hosting a helicopter safety panel on April 22 to discuss the findings, risks, and additional mitigation options," the FAA added. "Safety is the FAA's number one priority, and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public." The ill-fated New York City tour helicopter – a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV – came apart midair on Thursday afternoon before falling into the water upside down near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey, killing a Spanish family of five and the aircraft's Navy SEAL veteran pilot. 'Everything Is On The Table' As Ntsb Investigates Deadly Hudson River Tour Helicopter Crash The pilot, as well as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal; and their three young children, were pulled from the water by divers and pronounced dead. Read On The Fox News App The NTSB announced Saturday that the helicopter was not equipped with any flight recorders, adding that none of the helicopter avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation. 6 Dead, Including 3 Children, After Helicopter Plummets In Hudson River NTSB investigators started evaluating the helicopter's flight control system, and drivers found the main fuselage, including the cockpit and cabin, forward portion of the tail boom, horizontal stabilizer finlets and vertical fin. Some of the recovered parts will be sent to the NTSB laboratories in Washington for closer inspection, according to the agency. Divers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) are continuing to search for the helicopter's main rotor, main gear box, tail rotor and a large portion of the tail boom, NTSB said. Ohio State Highway Patrol Investigating Small Plane Crash, Pilot Dead The helicopter involved in the crash had its last major inspection on March 1, according to the NTSB. Before the crash, the helicopter had completed seven tour flights, according to officials. The wreck happened during the eighth flight of the day. Assisting with the NTSB's investigation are the FAA, Bell Helicopter and Rolls-Royce. Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this article source: NYC helicopter tour company shuts down after Hudson River crash that killed 6: FAA
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why the so-called ‘Jesus nut' could be a key piece of evidence in Hudson River helicopter crash
A fist-sized piece of steel known as the 'Jesus nut' could be a crucial piece of evidence in the horrific helicopter crash that killed a Spanish family of five and their pilot in Manhattan earlier this week. The so-called 'Jesus nut' holds the main rotor to the mast of some helicopters — and some experts have speculated that it could have been why the chopper broke apart midair. 'What appears to have happened with this particular helicopter is that the rotor, the main rotor… had detached, because in one video we see the blades spinning away from the helicopter,' aviation analyst Julian Bray told The Sun. 'But this appears to have sliced through the back half of the helicopter, so the fuselage then drops like a stone into the river Hudson right opposite Pier 41.' Bray also said that it's standard procedure to regularly check the 'Jesus nut.' 'There is a particular procedure which has to be checked every time it's serviced, and it's known as the 'Jesus bolt' … because without that the whole thing will fall apart,' he said. 'It's either defective or wasn't tightened up, or for some reason it sheared.' The chopper's rotors are still missing, the National Transportation Safety Board said at a press conference Friday. The term 'Jesus nut' was most likely coined during the Vietnam War — referring to the fact that if it happened to detach, the only thing the crew could do was pray to Jesus, according to The tragic crash on Thursday afternoon took the lives of the pilot, Navy veteran Sean Johnson, 36, and a family of tourists — Agustín Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children — Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4 — in tow. Mercedes would've celebrated her 9th birthday on the Big Apple trip. The family embarked on the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV sightseeing chopper, which broke apart in midair and plunged into the Hudson River 25 minutes into its tour of Manhattan. The aircraft had a mechanical issue with its transmission last September, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. By then, it had logged 12,728 hours of flight time. The Escobar family's relatives posted a heartfelt note on X on Friday to honor them. 'There are no words to describe what we are experiencing, nor to thank you for the warmth received,' said the letter, posted on X by Joan Camprubí Montal, and signed by 19 members of the Escobar and Camprubí Montal families. 'These are very difficult times, but optimism and joy have always characterized our family. We want to preserve the memory of a happy and united family, in the sweetest moment of their lives.'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pilot of helicopter that crashed into Hudson was ‘doing what he loved,' friends say
NEW YORK — The pilot of the doomed tourist helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River was remembered as a driven Navy veteran who died 'doing what he loved,' friends and loved ones said Saturday. 'Flying wasn't just his passion — it was his purpose. He found pure joy in the skies, and it was there that he felt most alive,' Tara Boethin said about Seankese 'Sean' Johnson, who was flying the Bell 206 LongRanger IV that appeared to break apart in midair, overturn and drop from the sky, hitting the water upside down on Thursday afternoon. The National Safety Transportation Board was trying to determine what caused the crash Saturday. NYPD divers were using sonar to locate the copter's main rotor and tail rotor, which flew off the chopper before it crashed, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Friday afternoon press conference. The entire roof structure is also missing. 'Sean had an unmatched ability to lift others up, always ready to listen, to offer support, and to give just the right amount of encouragement to help others chase their dreams,' Boethin said on a GoFundMe post seeking donations for Johnson's family. By Saturday afternoon, more than $16,000 had been raised on the site within 16 hours. Tourists Agustin Escobar, the CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children Agustín Jr., 10, Mercè, 8, and Víctor, 4, were also killed in the crash. The family came to New York City to the birthday of one of their children, Mayor Adams said Friday. Camprubi Montal was also celebrating a birthday, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said. A video on Johnson's Facebook page posted last month shows him flying a Bell 206 helicopter over the Manhattan skyline. 'When it all comes together,' the 36-year-old pilot wrote. His wife was left stunned by the news. 'I'm just at a loss for words. I don't even know what happened,' Kathryn Johnson told Gothamist. 'It's just hard right now.' The couple had been separated for a few months after Johnson moved to New York, but the two remained close and she had spoken to Seankese just the day before the crash, she told reporters. Johnson radioed moments before plummeting into the water that he was desperately low on fuel and was heading back to the helipad, New York Helicopter CEO Michael Roth told The Telegraph. Johnson made the radio transmission just before the 3:15 p.m. crash on the New Jersey side of the river. The helicopter took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in lower Manhattan at about 2:50 p.m. '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. 'I got a call from my manager and my downtown heliport and she said she heard there was a crash, and then my phone blew up from everybody [calling]. Then one of my pilots flew over the Hudson and saw the helicopter upside down.' Johnson first took his passengers up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge, where the copter turned around and then headed back south, flying along the New Jersey side of the river before suddenly dropping upside-down into the river near Hoboken, Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thursday. The flight lasted less than 18 minutes, officials said. Johnson grew up in Chicago, longtime friends said. He joined the Navy in 2006 and served until 2018, achieving the rank of Gunner's Mate 2nd Class, Defense Department records show. He was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan from 2007 to 2011 and in San Diego from 2011 to 2018, serving in the Special Warfare Unit, the Special Warfare Logistics Support Unit and the Coastal Riverine Squadron. Niko Tiapula, who served with Johnson on the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier for three years, said the pilot had 'a work ethic unlike any other.' 'Everyone that he's ever been around with he's always been very nice, very outgoing,' Tiapula told ABC Eyewitness News. Remi Adeleke, who also served in the Navy with Johnson, was amazed by the pilot's 'spirit of resilience.' '[He had a] heart that always looked out for others,' Adeleke wrote on Facebook. 'Even after we both left the Navy, we stayed close — regular calls, meetups, and texts. He'd keep me updated every step of the way through pilot school, sharing milestones and progress. 'He died having achieved the dream he spoke about all those years ago in that SEAL Team workspace,' Adeleke wrote. 'He was so proud, and I was proud of him.' The NTSB's Homendy said Johnson had a commercial pilot certificate and had logged 788 hours of flight time by the end of March, although it wasn't immediately clear if all of that flight time was in the same helicopter that crashed. 'This is the first full day of our investigation, and as you can see, our investigators are still out there,' Homendy told reporters Friday. 'We have a lot of information, but we do not speculate. We need to confirm the information. That is a process that takes time.' Avenues of investigation will include 'reports of a large flock of birds in the area shortly before the crash,' Homendy said. Early speculation before the NTSB arrived was that the helicopter fell victim to a bird strike.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pilot of helicopter that crashed into Hudson was ‘doing what he loved,' friends say
The pilot of the doomed tourist helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River was remembered as a driven Navy veteran who died 'doing what he loved,' friends and loved ones said Saturday. 'Flying wasn't just his passion — it was his purpose. He found pure joy in the skies, and it was there that he felt most alive,' Tara Boethin said about Seankese 'Sean' Johnson, who was flying the Bell 206 LongRanger IV that appeared to break apart in mid-air, overturn and drop from the sky, hitting the water upside down on Thursday afternoon. The National Safety Transportation Board was trying to determine what caused the crash Saturday. NYPD divers were using sonar to locate the copter's main rotor and tail rotor, which flew off the chopper before it crashed, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Friday afternoon press conference. The entire roof structure is also missing. 'Sean had an unmatched ability to lift others up, always ready to listen, to offer support, and to give just the right amount of encouragement to help others chase their dreams,' Boethin said on a GoFundMe post seeking donations for Johnson's family. By Saturday afternoon, more than $16,000 had been raised on the site within 16 hours. Tourists Agustin Escobar, the CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children Agustín Jr., 10, Mercè, 8, and Víctor, 4, were also killed in the crash. The family came to New York City to the birthday of one of their children, Mayor Adams said Friday. Camprubi Montal was also celebrating a birthday, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said. A video on Johnson's Facebook page posted last month shows him flying a Bell 206 helicopter over the Manhattan skyline. 'When it all comes together,' the 36-year-old pilot wrote. His wife was left stunned by the news. 'I'm just at a loss for words. I don't even know what happened,' Kathryn Johnson told Gothamist. 'It's just hard right now.' The couple had been separated for a few months after Johnson moved to New York, but the two remained close and she had spoken to Seankese just the day before the crash, she told reporters. Johnson radioed moments before plummeting into the water that he was desperately low on fuel and was heading back to the helipad, New York Helicopter CEO Michael Roth told The Telegraph. Johnson made the radio transmission just before the 3:15 p.m. crash on the New Jersey side of the river. The helicopter took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in lower Manhattan at about 2:50 p.m. '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. 'I got a call from my manager and my downtown heliport and she said she heard there was a crash, and then my phone blew up from everybody [calling]. Then one of my pilots flew over the Hudson and saw the helicopter upside down.' Johnson first took his passengers up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge, where the copter turned around and then headed back south, flying along the New Jersey side of the river before suddenly dropping upside-down into the river near Hoboken, Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thursday. The flight lasted less than 18 minutes, officials said. Johnson grew up in Chicago, longtime friends said. He joined the Navy in 2006 and served until 2018, achieving the rank of Gunner's Mate 2nd Class, Defense Department records show. He was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan from 2007 to 2011 and in San Diego from 2011 to 2018, serving in the Special Warfare Unit, the Special Warfare Logistics Support Unit and the Coastal Riverine Squadron. Niko Tiapula, who served with Johnson on the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier for three years, said the pilot had 'a work ethic unlike any other.' Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily NewsA helicopter is seen submerged in the Hudson River near Jersey City, New Jersey, after falling out of the sky midair on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily News) Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily NewsDebris from a helicopter crash is seen in the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey after on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily News) Show CaptionGardiner Anderson / New York Daily News1 of 3The mangled wreckage of a helicopter is lifted from the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey after it crashed on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily News)Expand 'Everyone that he's ever been around with he's always been very nice, very outgoing,' Tiapula told ABC Eyewitness News. Remi Adeleke, who also served in the Navy with Johnson, was amazed by the pilot's 'spirit of resilience.' '[He had a] heart that always looked out for others,' Adeleke wrote on Facebook. 'Even after we both left the Navy, we stayed close — regular calls, meetups, and texts. He'd keep me updated every step of the way through pilot school, sharing milestones and progress. 'He died having achieved the dream he spoke about all those years ago in that SEAL Team workspace,' Adeleke wrote. 'He was so proud, and I was proud of him.' The NTSB's Homendy said Johnson had a commercial pilot certificate and had logged 788 hours of flight time by the end of March, although it wasn't immediately clear if all of that flight time was in the same helicopter that crashed. 'This is the first full day of our investigation, and as you can see, our investigators are still out there,' Homendy told reporters Friday. 'We have a lot of information, but we do not speculate. We need to confirm the information. That is a process that takes time.' Avenues of investigation will include 'reports of a large flock of birds in the area shortly before the crash,' Homendy said. Early speculation before the NTSB arrived was that the helicopter fell victim to a bird strike.
