© Espejo Helicopters via Imagn Content Services, LLC + © Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images + © Karly Graham/News-Review / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(New York, NY) – Since 1977, 38 people have died in New York City helicopter crashes. And after an April 10 crash claimed the lives of five family members, as well as the helicopter’s pilot, there’s a renewed push to ban all non-essential helicopter traffic in and around the city.
Earlier this month, three local members of Congress introduced a bill that would outlaw most helicopter flights within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty. Two Democrats, Jerrold Nadler of New York and Rob Menendez of New Jersey, joined with Staten Island Republican Nicole Malliotakis to propose the legislation.
A statement from Representative Menendez reads: “While we have consistently worked to address the impact of non-essential helicopters on our communities, last month’s tragic crash should be a clarion call for every level of government to take action on helicopter safety. Rising congestion of non-essential helicopters, coupled with concerning safety records of air tourism operators, are causing a direct threat to public safety. Along with my colleagues from New Jersey and New York, we’re doing what is necessary to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”
The move would be in line with a local measure that recently passed. Although it won’t take effect until December 2029, the New York City Council enacted a bill that bans all non-essential helicopter traffic that fails to comply with FAA noise standards.
As for the federal ban, some are all for it. That includes Stop The Chop, a grassroots organization that has worked to try and ground tourist helicopter flights for years. They cite both the noise and environmental impact. Around 30,000 tourist helicopter flights take off each year. The group called the federal bill “common sense federal legislation that will, when passed, finally put an end to the dangerous helicopter conditions in the New York metropolitan area.”
It was back on April 10 when the doomed tourist flight crashed into the Hudson River, killing five family members from Barcelona as well as the pilot. It was the helicopter’s eighth flight of the day. New York Helicopter Tours, which owned the chopper that crashed, shut down operations shortly afterwards. Apparently, the FAA had demanded that happen — per the CEO Michael Roth. US Senator Chuck Schumer of New York applauded that step but said more needed to be done regarding the industry as a whole.
The NTSB continues to investigate the crash. It seemed as if the aircraft came apart midair and lost its propeller — as caught on video. The helicopter had last been inspected March 1 of this year.
