The familiar sight of low-flying tour helicopters gracing the New York City skyline may soon become a relic of the past if a certain congresswoman's efforts come to fruition.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York, has expressed her desire to regulate, or even halt, these flights following the tragic loss of six lives in a tour helicopter crash on Thursday. This incident echoes a similar catastrophe in 2018 when a tour helicopter plunged into the East River, claiming the lives of five passengers.
According to Fox News, Malliotakis has long been vocal about the frustrations of her Staten Island constituents regarding these tour helicopters. Their concerns have been amplified by Thursday's incident, as these aircraft often traverse densely populated areas. The ill-fated sightseeing helicopter crashed near the New Jersey shoreline, perilously close to land.
"Staten Island residents remain deeply concerned about the frequent low-flying tour helicopters whose flight paths continue to frequently pass over their neighborhoods at all hours of the day," Malliotakis stated. She further emphasized the need for stricter regulation and restriction of these flights over New York City, even suggesting their complete cessation, to prevent another tragedy.
Malliotakis has previously raised this issue with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and the Biden administration. In October, she alleged that certain operators were breaching FAA rules by flying at low and potentially hazardous altitudes, causing noise disturbances that infuriated residents. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the helicopter involved in Thursday's crash violated any FAA regulations.
Tour helicopters are a popular attraction in New York City, offering tourists a unique aerial perspective of iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. These tours attract tens of thousands of visitors annually.
The recent tragedy occurred around 3:15 p.m., when a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, disintegrated and plunged into the Hudson River. Eyewitness footage captured the aircraft's body spiraling through the air and crashing into the water near the Jersey City shoreline in New Jersey. The helicopter's main and rear rotor appeared to have detached and were seen splashing into the water.
The cause of the crash remains undetermined, with both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirming their ongoing investigation into the fatal incident.
The victims of the crash included five members of the same family: Agustin Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children. The 36-year-old pilot also perished in the crash.
This is not the first time a tour helicopter has crashed in the city. In 2018, a Eurocopter AS350 B2, operated by Liberty Helicopters for FlyNYON, crashed into the East River, resulting in the deaths of all five passengers, while the pilot miraculously survived. The NTSB determined that a passenger's harness tether inadvertently activated the fuel shutoff lever, leading to engine failure. The agency noted that the water landing was survivable, but the harness tether system hindered the passengers from swiftly escaping the sinking aircraft.
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