Schumer urges FAA crackdown on helicopter tour firm after deadly Hudson crash

Following a deadly crash that killed all six aboard, including a family of five visiting from Spain, Senator Chuck Schumer has called for federal authorities to suspend the operating permits of New York Helicopter Tours. At a Sunday press conference, the Senate minority leader said the company should be grounded while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates.The helicopter reportedly broke apart in the air on Thursday before crashing into the Hudson River. The victims included Agustin Escobar, 49; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39; their children, Victor, 4; Mercedes, 8; and Agustin, 10. The pilot, 36-year-old Seankese Johnson, was a U.S. Navy veteran who had earned his commercial pilot’s license in 2023.“One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Schumer said. He also accused some tour companies of “cutting corners and putting profits over people,” and urged the Federal Aviation Administration to step up inspections across the industry.
Thursday’s crash has reignited scrutiny over the safety of New York’s helicopter sightseeing industry. Over the last 20 years, five similar flights have ended in disaster in the Hudson or East River due to crashes, collisions, or mechanical failures, resulting in 20 deaths. Despite public pressure and past regulatory steps—like a 2016 cap on heliport takeoffs—incidents have continued.The 2018 crash of an “open door” helicopter, which killed five after a passenger’s tether shut off the engine, was a flashpoint in the fight over whether nonessential flights should be allowed at all. Though New York City took steps to limit local operations, many companies simply relocated across the river to New Jersey, skirting restrictions while still servicing Manhattan airspace.The recent crash involved a popular sightseeing route, passing landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. The cause remains unknown. Schumer confirmed that divers are still searching for key components of the aircraft—specifically the main rotor and gearbox—which may offer insight into what went wrong.New York Helicopter Tours has not responded to media requests, but in a brief statement on its website said it is fully cooperating with investigators. The Eastern Region Helicopter Council, representing industry interests, defended the current regulatory environment, saying tour companies already operate under “the most stringent of regulations.”Still, the growing number of high-profile crashes has fueled calls for a total ban on nonessential helicopter traffic above New York. Lawmakers and safety advocates argue that even with regulations in place, the risk to both passengers and people on the ground is too great.As the NTSB’s investigation unfolds, pressure is mounting on the FAA to reconsider how closely—and how harshly—it polices this high-flying corner of the tourism industry.