Washington (AFP) – The helicopter tour company behind a crash in New York that killed six people last week is shutting down, US authorities said Sunday. A senior business executive, his wife, and three children died along with the pilot when the helicopter operated by New York Helicopter Tours malfunctioned and plunged into the Hudson River on Thursday. The family was on a tourism flight over Manhattan, described by the operator as the “ultimate sightseeing tour of New York City.”
New York Helicopter Tours is “shutting down their operations immediately,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement on X. “The FAA will be launching an immediate review of the tour operator’s license and safety record,” the civil aviation authority said. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. Jersey City officials said working theories included a drone collision, a bird strike, or mechanical failure. Video of the incident has emerged showing the fuselage apparently becoming detached from the rotor.
The crash has shone another light on US aviation safety after a string of deadly crashes, including the collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington in January that claimed 67 lives. A light aircraft also crashed after departing Boca Raton airport in Florida on Friday, with local media reporting three people had been killed after the plane developed a mechanical issue.
© 2024 AFP
