Latest news with #NewYorkHelicopter
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Helicopter tours of NYC have a controversial and deadly history
A Spanish family who boarded a sightseeing helicopter in New York City were promised an 'experience you don't want to miss' and "an industry-leading safety record" by New York Helicopter. Instead, the flight ended in tragedy when the aircraft plunged into the Hudson River. Tech executive Agustin Escobar was among the six killed in the April 10 crash, the company confirmed. Escobar's family ‒ including 3 children ‒ died in the crash, as well as the helicopter's pilot. The deaths made worldwide headlines and brought renewed attention to the controversial helicopter tourism industry in New York. The industry sends some 30,000 flights over the Big Apple every year. But residents have decried the helicopters as a nuisance and occasionally some flights have also faced a deadly end. New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth said he was 'devastated' by the crash. 'I haven't seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business,' Roth said to the New York Post about a video showing the helicopter careening into the water. '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.' More: Helicopter crash into NYC's Hudson River kills 6 on sightseeing tour At least 32 people died in New York City helicopter crashes between 1977 and 2019, according to an Associated Press report. The latest crash brings the total to 38. In March, tour company FlyNYON paid a share of a settlement in a lawsuit for $90 million, reports say. The suit was brought by the relatives of a man who died when a helicopter crashed and sank into the East River in 2018. The helicopter was owned and operated by Liberty Helicopters, which was also found liable in the lawsuit. The tragedy led to an FAA ban on open-door flights. The five passengers on board drowned after the helicopter rolled over into the water as they were trapped by safety harnesses they were wearing at the time. Pilot Richard Vance was the only survivor. The crash was the third in 11 years for Liberty Helicopters, leading Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer to call upon federal authorities to suspend the company's license. Liberty Helicopters is still operating, according to a company website. Another Liberty Helicopters chopper went down in 2009 after crashing with a private plane. All nine people on both aircraft — a pilot and five passengers in the helicopter and a pilot and two passengers in the plane — died in the midair crash. In 2019, a chopper slammed into the roof of a Manhattan building and burst into flames. Timothy McCormack, the pilot of the eight-seat, twin-engine helicopter, died. He was the only person on board the aircraft. More: With 6 dead in New York, a look at notable fatal helicopter crashes in recent US history Most of the nonessential helicopter flights that take off every year in New York City don't end in tragedy. (Sightseeing flights are considered nonessential.) But even a successful flight can be controversial. Because such flights must fly at a low altitude to avoid airplanes, they add to the din of an already loud city for many New Yorkers. Residents opposed to the aircraft have scored some victories. Sightseeing helicopter flights are only allowed to leave from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport and only Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; although commuter and other flights are allowed to leave from the island's two other heliports as well. Sightseeing flights must follow a prescribed route, generally around the bottom of Manhattan, around Liberty Island (home to the Statue of Liberty) and along the Hudson River. Designated routes were created in 2009 following the deadly mid-air collision of the Liberty Helicopters chopper with a private plane that left nine dead. Tours leaving from Manhattan are not allowed to fly over land, though flights originating from the other New York City airports do not have such restrictions, the New York City Council website said. Efforts to ban or limit tourist flights have been ongoing for at least 15 years. Stop the Chop, a group organized to reduce helicopter noise, has been agitating for several years to ban nonessential helicopters from flying over the New York metropolitan area. In 2010 city officials banned short, four to eight minute tours around Manhattan. Today most flights are between 12 and 30 minutes. Flights on Sundays were also banned in 2016 at Stop The Chop's urging. Congressional Representatives, including several from the city, introduced the Safe and Quiet Skies Act in 2023. The law would have directed the FAA to strictly regulate sightseeing flights by requiring them to fly at a higher altitude and be no louder than 55 decibels over occupied areas. It did not pass then but politicians who introduced the bill are raising the issue again in light of Thursday's crash. 'This heartbreaking incident was not only devastating — it was foreseeable,' said Representative Jerry Nadler. 'For years, I have raised concerns about the dangers posed by non-essential helicopter flights over our city's densely populated neighborhoods and congested airspace. One of the busiest skies in the nation remains largely unregulated, governed by outdated visual flight rules and minimal oversight.' (This story has been updated to add new information.) Contributing: Jeanine Santucci This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC helicopter crash follows years of controversy for tourist flights
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Haunting images of doomed New York helicopter wreckage after crash kills six people
The Bell 206L-4 - used by sightseeing tour firm New York Helicopter - broke apart midair and crashed, killing Agustin Escobar, who was the CEO of Siemens Spain, and his family These eerie pictures capture the wreckage of the doomed helicopter which broke apart midair and crashed into the Hudson River. Six people, including Siemens boss Agustin Escobar and his family, died when the sightseeing chopper plunged into the New York City water last month. An investigation is underway into the horror, as part of which a series of still photographs taken from surveillance camera video have been released. The haunting images, included in the preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), show the fuselage, containing the engine and rotors, separating from the helicopter's tail. The rotor blades and the transmission then detach from the cabin that's carrying the passengers and the pilot. The NTSB's report reads: "Several witnesses described hearing several loud 'bangs' emanating from the helicopter before it broke up and descended into the river." The document also said photos taken beforehand show the pilot, Seankese Johnson, was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which would have had video and audio recording capability. The glasses have not been recovered. Justin Green, an aviation lawyer and former Marine helicopter pilot, said he understands the tail boom failed mid flight. This spar connects tail surfaces to a fuselage. The expert added: "It's clear that some mechanical issue precipitated the breakup." The initial report, which runs about six pages, does not address the initial cause of the breakup. That, Mr Green said, will likely be determined by a forensic examination of the wreckage itself, including the rotor blades, the engine and transmission. "A tail strike could be caused by a pilot not handling a loss of power emergency and allowing the rotor rpm to decay, which makes the rotors flap up and down more and that can cause a strike," Mr Green said. The aircraft, a Bell 206L-4 built in 2004, also appeared to be fairly old and well used, according to the aviation lawyer. At the time of the crash, the helicopter had operated about 50 hours since its last inspection on February 27, according to the NTSB report. The helicopter's airframe accrued nearly 13,000 total hours of operation, and the engine accrued more than 23,000 hours. Federal Aviation Administration records also show the aircraft had a maintenance issue last September involving its transmission assembly. Mr Green added: "The NTSB will be looking at the overhaul and maintenance records to make sure everything is up to date." The NTSB said previously that the aircraft, operated by tour company New York Helicopter, was not equipped with any video or data recording devices. However, it has now emerged Mr Johnson, the 36-year-old pilot, was wearing the computer-augmented sunglasses. The former Navy SEAL received his commercial pilot's license in 2023 and had logged 790 hours of flight time, the NTSB report said. But he didn't appear to be particularly experienced flying a Bell 206L-4, observed Al Yurman, a retired NTSB investigator. The agency said in its report Mr Johnson had fewer than 50 hours of flight in that type of aircraft. Mr Yurman continued: "It's quite sophisticated for that type of work. I would prefer to have someone more experienced, but we'll know more when the full report comes out." The report said Mr Johnson worked a '10 days on/10 days off schedule' and the April 10 flight was his first day back after 10 days off. The flight was also the eighth that day for the pilot and the helicopter. The aircraft was on a typical tour, departing from the downtown heliport by Wall Street around 3pm and flying north along the Manhattan skyline before heading south toward the Statue of Liberty. Less than 18 minutes into the flight, witnesses saw the tail and main rotor break away and smoke pouring from the spinning helicopter. In recent years New York Helicopter, the tour company, went through bankruptcy and faced ongoing lawsuits over alleged debts. The company has said it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation. No one answered the phone at its office or responded to an email seeking comment on Wednesday. The crash was among a recent string of aircraft disasters and close calls that left some people worried about the safety of flying in the US It also revived concerns about the popular and costly aerial tours over New York City. Five commercial sightseeing helicopters have gone down in the rivers around Manhattan since 2005 as a result of mechanical failure, pilot error or collision, killing 20 people. The April 10 crash killed Mr Escobar's family from Barcelona; his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; and their children Victor, four, Mercedes, eight, and ten-year-old Agustin. Officials have said Mr Escobar, global CEO of the rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, was in the New York area on business. Ms Montal, who worked for Siemens Energy and was the granddaughter of a former president of the famous Barcelona FC soccer club, flew in with their children to meet him.
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
New report shows NYC helicopter breaking apart in midair before crash that killed 6
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal officials released new images Wednesday showing a helicopter that crashed in New York last month breaking apart in midair. The series of stills taken from surveillance camera video were included in the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report into the doomed sightseeing flight, on which six people died April 10. The images show the moments the helicopter broke into three parts — the fuselage, the main rotor system and the tail boom. 'Several witnesses described hearing several loud 'bangs' emanating from the helicopter before it broke up and descended into the river,' the report says. At the time of the crash, the Bell 206L-4 had operated about 50 hours since its last inspection Feb. 27, according to the report. The helicopter's airframe accrued nearly 13,000 total hours of operation, and the engine accrued more than 23,000 hours. Federal Aviation Administration records show the aircraft was built in 2004 and had a maintenance issue last September involving its transmission assembly. The NTSB said previously that the aircraft, which was operated by tour company New York Helicopter, was not equipped with any video or data recording devices. But on Wednesday it said photos taken beforehand show that the pilot, Seankese Johnson, was wearing computer-augmented sunglasses, which would have had video and audio recording capability. The glasses have not been recovered, however. Johnson, a 36-year-old former Navy SEAL, received his commercial pilot's license in 2023. He logged 790 hours of flight time, fewer than 50 of which were in the make and model of the helicopter involved in the accident, the NTSB said. 'The pilot worked a 10 days on/10 days off schedule and the accident flight was his first day back after having 10 days off,' according to the report. 'The accident flight was the eighth tour flight of the day for the accident helicopter, and all of those flights were operated by the pilot.' The aircraft was on a typical tour, departing from the downtown heliport by Wall Street around 3 p.m. and flying north along the Manhattan skyline before heading south toward the Statue of Liberty. Less than 18 minutes into the flight, witnesses saw the tail and main rotor breaking away and smoke pouring from the spinning helicopter. In recent years New York Helicopter, the tour company, went through bankruptcy and faced ongoing lawsuits over alleged debts. The company has said it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation. No one answered the phone at its office or responded to an email seeking comment Wednesday. The crash was among a recent string of aircraft crashes and close calls that left some people worried about the safety of flying in the U.S. It also revived concerns about the popular and costly aerial tours over New York City. Longtime opponents revived calls to ban or limit 'nonessential' helicopter flights, including the roughly 30,000 sightseeing rides over the city each year. But Mayor Eric Adams does not support further restrictions. Five commercial sightseeing helicopters have gone down in the rivers around Manhattan since 2005 as a result of mechanical failure, pilot error or collision, killing 20 people . The other victims of the April 10 crash were Agustín Escobar, a 49-year-old global CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, a 39-year-old who worked for Siemens Energy, a separate company; and their children Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The family was from Barcelona, Spain , and Montal was the granddaughter of a former president of the famous Barcelona FC soccer club. Officials have said Escobar was in the New York area on business, and his family flew in to meet him. Mercedes would have turned 9 the day after the crash.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Funeral held in Spain for family killed in Hudson River helicopter crash
A funeral was held Tuesday for the Spanish family killed earlier this month in a New York City helicopter crash. Agustin Escobar, 49, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10, were killed on April 10 when the helicopter they were taking a sightseeing tour in broke apart midair and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey. The tour was intended to celebrate the middle child's birthday. Seankese 'Sean' Johnson, a 36-year-old U.S. Navy veteran and the helicopter's pilot, was also killed in the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded New York Helicopter, the tour company, days after the crash and put temporary flight restrictions around the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board said the chopper had no flight recorders and hadn't been inspected in over a month. At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977. Tuesday's funeral was held at a Barcelona church where a capacity crowd, including Catalonia's regional leader Salvador Illa and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, mourned the family. 'We have been in pain for the last 11 days, but they will always remain in our memories and remind us from up high to never lose our ability to smile,' Joan Camprubi, the woman's father, said during the service. The service concluded with a slideshow of happier moments in the family's life while Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' played over speakers. Escobar was global CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, while his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal worked for Siemens Energy, a separate company. 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones,' Siemens said in a statement earlier this month. _____
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Funeral held in Spain for family killed in Hudson River helicopter crash
A funeral was held Tuesday for the Spanish family killed earlier this month in a New York City helicopter crash. Agustin Escobar, 49, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10, were killed on April 10 when the helicopter they were taking a sightseeing tour in broke apart midair and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey. The tour was intended to celebrate the middle child's birthday. Seankese 'Sean' Johnson, a 36-year-old U.S. Navy veteran and the helicopter's pilot, was also killed in the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded New York Helicopter, the tour company, days after the crash and put temporary flight restrictions around the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board said the chopper had no flight recorders and hadn't been inspected in over a month. At least 38 people have died in helicopter accidents in New York City since 1977. Tuesday's funeral was held at a Barcelona church where a capacity crowd, including Catalonia's regional leader Salvador Illa and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, mourned the family. 'We have been in pain for the last 11 days, but they will always remain in our memories and remind us from up high to never lose our ability to smile,' Joan Camprubi, the woman's father, said during the service. The service concluded with a slideshow of happier moments in the family's life while Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' played over speakers. Escobar was global CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, while his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal worked for Siemens Energy, a separate company. 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones,' Siemens said in a statement earlier this month. _____
