The Federal Aviation Administration said it will begin an immediate review of licenses and safety records for the New York Helicopter Tour.
The helicopter tour company involved in a fatal crash on New York City’s Hudson River on April 10 will soon halt the operation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Sunday.
The FAA said it would begin an immediate review of the license and safety records for the New York Helicopter Tour on April 13 in the aftermath of the crash that killed a pilot and five families from Spain.
Aviation regulators also said they would continue to support the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into fatal crashes.
Prior to the announcement, Sen. Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) urged the FAA to revoke the company’s certificate of operation and suspend all flights until the investigation is complete.
Schumer also urged regulators to step up lamp inspections from other helicopter tour companies to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
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New York helicopter tours did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
New York helicopter tours confirmed that passengers and crew safety and happiness are always the “cornerstone” of its operation.
“Our immediate focus is to support families and their loved ones affected by this tragedy and to fully cooperate with the FAA and NTSB investigations. These agencies have asked us to respect the investigative process by introducing all the coverage of further comments.” “Our thoughts and prayers lie in the family.”
Based on flight tracking software, the aircraft flew south, then flew north up the Hudson River along the Manhattan coastline. At 3:08pm, the helicopter arrived at the George Washington Bridge, and once again flew south along the New Jersey coastline. Shortly afterwards, the helicopter lost control and plunged into the Hudson River.
Homedy told reporters at a press conference on April 11 that the agency had previously called for restrictions governing private air tour operators.
“We have issued recommendations for recorders, crash-resistant recorders in the past, and we have issued numerous regular recommendations for regulations for safety management systems, particularly part 91,” she said.
Rachel Assenas contributed to this report.
