Helicopter Tour Company Shuts Down After Fatal Hudson River Crash
2 days ago
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Sunday that New York Helicopter Tours (also known as New York Helicopter Charter) is shutting down operations immediately following a fatal crash that killed six people. The FAA also stated it would conduct an immediate review of the company’s operating license and safety record.
Why It Matters
Thursday’s tragic crash has renewed safety concerns about New York’s sightseeing helicopter industry, which has experienced multiple fatal accidents in recent years. In the last two decades, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have crashed into the Hudson and East rivers due to mechanical failures, pilot errors, or collisions, resulting in 20 fatalities.
New York Helicopter Tours was also involved in dangerous incidents in 2013 and 2015, raising further questions about the company’s safety record.
Why Did the Helicopter Crash?
According to law enforcement, the helicopter, a Bell 206, crashed into the water after breaking apart midair last Thursday afternoon.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said it was first alerted to the incident at 3:17 p.m. ET, with Commissioner Jessica Tisch telling reporters the first rescue teams arrived “within minutes.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrote: “The New York City Fire Department Marine Division and New York Police Department Harbor Unit responded to the scene on the New Jersey side of the Hudson shortly after 911 calls started. Divers from both teams immediately jumped into action, as did medical personnel onsite.”
Speaking at a press conference, Adams said the helicopter took off from the Downtown Skyport, also known as the Wall Street Skyport, at around 3 p.m. ET. The crash took place near Pier 40, on the Jersey City side of the Hudson River.
Footage posted to X showed the helicopter, which appeared to be missing its tail and propeller, crashing into the water followed by a loud splash.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers barge removes parts of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River on April 10, 2025 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Six people are dead after the sightseeing helicopter,… A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers barge removes parts of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River on April 10, 2025 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Six people are dead after the sightseeing helicopter, believed to be carrying a family of tourists from Spain, crashed into the Hudson River off Lower Manhattan this afternoon.
James Devaney/Getty Images
Who Are the Victims?
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10.
Escobar was CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, a subdivision of German technology company Siemens that focused on transportation.
The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023.
What To Know
The shutdown announcement came hours after Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on federal authorities to revoke New York Helicopter Tours’ operating permits.
At a news conference Sunday, Schumer had urged that the company halt all flights while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the crash.
The company was involved in two previous incidents with Bell 206 helicopters. In 2013, one descended into the Hudson River after takeoff, though inflatable pontoons prevented serious injuries. In 2015, another helicopter made a “hard landing” after spinning uncontrollably due to an “unairworthy” drive shaft. That helicopter had previously been involved in a hard landing in Chile in 2010.
Notably, the helicopter in Thursday’s crash was owned by Meridian Helicopters, the same Louisiana-based company that owned the helicopter involved in the 2015 incident.
FAA Statement⁰⁰New York Helicopter Tours — the company involved in the deadly crash on the Hudson earlier this week — is shutting down their operations immediately.⁰ ⁰We will continue to support @NTSB’s investigation. Additionally, the FAA will be launching an immediate…
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) April 14, 2025
What People Are Saying
The FAA posted a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on the company’s closure: “New York Helicopter Tours — the company involved in the deadly crash on the Hudson earlier this week — is shutting down their operations immediately. We will continue to support @NTSB’s investigation. Additionally, the FAA will be launching an immediate review of the tour operator’s license and safety record.”
It added: “Lastly on the topic of helicopter safety broadly: 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. Safety is the FAA’s number one priority, and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public.”
President Donald Trump offered his condolences to the victims’ families in a Truth Social post following Thursday’s crash and said more information would be released: “Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us,” the president wrote. “The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!”
What Happens Next
The FAA will conduct a review of the company’s operating license and safety record while the NTSB continues its investigation.
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