A New York City tour helicopter, which tragically plunged into the Hudson River on Thursday, had been featured in a promotional video on the company's website, extolling its safety record.
The Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, operated by New York Helicopters, disintegrated mid-flight, crashing into the water near the Jersey City shoreline. The catastrophic accident claimed the lives of a Spanish family of five and the aircraft's pilot, a Navy SEAL veteran.
According to Fox News, the helicopter's main and tail rotor detached from the body of the aircraft, as seen in eyewitness video footage. The exact cause of the crash remains undetermined. The helicopter, bearing the registration number N216MH, is still featured in a video on the New York Helicopters' website, showing a pre-flight safety check.
The video, embedded on the company's homepage under the section "Why Choose Us," promotes the company's experience, affordability, and safety record. "We have an industry-leading safety record," the website claims alongside the video. The silent footage shows an employee inspecting the black and white helicopter, untethering the main rotor blade from a dolly, and conducting a thorough check of the engine and drive shaft before takeoff.
The ill-fated Bell 206, manufactured in 2004, had logged 12,728 hours of flight time before it was taken in for repair in September due to a mechanical issue with its transmission assembly, as reported by the New York Post, citing FAA data. In April 2023, the FAA issued two safety alerts for all Bell 206L model helicopters, identifying a risk of tail rotor drive (TRDS) failure caused by a faulty bonded joint in the segmented drive shaft. The FAA advised replacing any failed tail rotor drive with a compliant, serviceable part and prohibited the installation of non-compliant TRDS parts.
In a harrowing video of the crash, it appears that the tail rotor detached before the main rotor. Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, expressed his shock to the New York Post, stating, "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 dont know. This is horrific. But you gotta remember something, these are machines and they break."
The company expressed its deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating, "At New York Helicopter Tours, the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew has always been the cornerstone of our operations. Our immediate focus is supporting the families and their loved ones affected by this tragedy, as well as fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations."
This is not the first time a helicopter operated by Roth's company has encountered mechanical issues. In 2015, another Bell 206 was forced to make a hard landing due to a tail rotor driveshaft failure caused by the reuse of a faulty part, according to the NTSB. Two years prior, a Bell 206 carrying four Swedish tourists lost power and made an emergency landing on the water.
The recent tragedy has led Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., to call for stricter regulations or a complete halt to such flights. This incident follows a fatal 2018 crash when a tour helicopter operated by Liberty Helicopters for FlyNYON tragically crashed into the East River, resulting in the death of five passengers. The recurrence of such incidents raises serious questions about the safety measures in place and the need for more stringent oversight of helicopter tour operations.
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