Picture Credits: Associated Press
New York, USA: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has suspended the operating license of New York Helicopter Tours after one of its sightseeing helicopters catastrophically broke apart midair and plunged into the Hudson River last Thursday, killing all six people aboard including a family visiting from Spain and a veteran pilot.
FAA officials ordered the immediate grounding of the company on Sunday, citing serious safety concerns following the dismissal of the firm’s Director of Operations, Jason Costello. Costello had voluntarily suspended flights pending the federal investigation, but was swiftly fired by company CEO Michael Roth. The FAA interpreted the firing as retaliatory and a threat to public safety.
“The immediate firing of the Director of Operations raises serious safety concerns,” the FAA stated in an official letter. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who had called for the company’s certificate to be revoked, condemned the company’s history of cutting corners, saying, “Tour companies like these have a deadly track record and it’s usually not the pilots, but the companies manipulating FAA rules and putting profits over people.”
The Victims
The helicopter was carrying Agustín Escobar, 49, a Siemens executive from Spain; his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; and their three children — Agustín, 10; Mercedes, 8; and Víctor, 4. They had arrived in New York from Barcelona that day to celebrate Camprubí’s 40th birthday. The pilot, Seankese “Sean” Johnson, 36, a former Navy SEAL, was also killed. Johnson had logged 788 flight hours and had been certified to fly commercial helicopters since August 2023.
Crash and Investigation
Picture Credits: Associated Press
The helicopter followed a routine sightseeing route over Manhattan before disintegrating midair, with footage showing it spinning out of control and crashing into the Hudson River off Jersey City. Investigators suspect a mechanical failure caused the main rotor to strike the tail, resulting in the aircraft breaking apart. The NTSB recovered major components including the rotor system, transmission, and tail rotor for further analysis.
The aircraft lacked flight data and video recorders, and had undergone its last major inspection on March 1. It had completed seven tour flights on the day of the crash.
The helicopter had also been involved in previous safety incidents. In 2013, a pilot reported an “Engine Out warning horn” before executing an emergency landing in the water. In 2015, another pilot was forced to land after a suspected mechanical issue. The same helicopter had previously been involved in a crash in Chile in 2010.
Public Outcry and Political Pressure
Amid widespread public shock, calls for tighter regulation of NYC helicopter tours have intensified. Schumer urged increased FAA ramp inspections and a temporary halt on non-essential flights. City Councilwoman Amanda Farías called for a reevaluation of existing policies and a moratorium on tourist flights from city-owned heliports.
Meanwhile, FlyNYON — a separate company previously linked to a deadly 2018 East River crash that killed five has stirred controversy by offering up to 70% discounts on its own helicopter tours following the Hudson tragedy. Critics, including Schumer, labeled the promotion “outrageous.”
“FlyNYON is offering the same kind of flights that just took the lives of six people, and now they’re giving a 70% discount special-outrageous,” Schumer said at a Sunday press conference.
Despite the disaster, tours at FlyNYON’s New Jersey base continued over the weekend, with customers departing for doors-off flights — the very type of experience implicated in past fatalities. The company was previously scrutinized for exploiting regulatory loopholes related to passenger safety harnesses.
The Eastern Region Helicopter Council expressed sorrow over the crash but cautioned against sweeping bans, warning against “misguided leaders using this tragedy to push an anti-helicopter agenda.”
As the FAA and NTSB continue their investigation, federal scrutiny into New York City’s helicopter tour industry is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned to Aviation Today for more such news!
