The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that New York Helicopter Tours, the owner of the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River close to the New Jersey shoreline last Thursday, killing all six people on board, is immediately ceasing operations.
The FAA announced on Sunday that it will immediately investigate the tour operator’s license and safety record and will continue to assist the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation into the tragedy.
“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,” the FAA continued. “Safety is the FAA’s number one priority, and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public.”
A Spanish family of five was killed, together with the seasoned pilot of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, the unfortunate tour helicopter for New York City, when it broke apart in midair on Thursday afternoon and plunged into the water upside down close to Jersey City, New Jersey.
After being retrieved from the water by divers, the pilot, Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three small children were all declared dead.
No flight recorders were installed on the helicopter, and none of the avionics on board captured data that may be utilized in the investigation, the NTSB said on Saturday.
Drivers discovered the main fuselage, which included the cockpit and cabin, the forward section of the tail boom, the horizontal stabilizer finlets, and the vertical fin, while NTSB examiners began assessing the helicopter’s flight control system.
According to the agency, a portion of the recovered parts will be transported to the NTSB laboratories in Washington for additional examination.
According to the NTSB, the main rotor, main gear box, tail rotor, and a significant section of the tail boom of the helicopter are still being sought by New York City Police Department (NYPD) divers.
According to the NTSB, the crash-related helicopter underwent its most recent significant inspection on March 1.
Officials said the helicopter had made seven tour flights before to the tragedy. The eighth flight of the day was when the crash occurred.
The FAA is working with Bell Helicopter and Rolls-Royce to support the NTSB’s inquiry.
Source: Fox News
