The New York City tour operator of a helicopter that last week spun into the Hudson River, killing all six on board, is shutting down operations immediately.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made the announcement Sunday night on X while beginning “an immediate review” of New York Helicopter Tours’ license and safety record as ongoing investigation into the fatal crash proceeded.
UPI reports the announcement came after Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) called on federal authorities earlier Sunday to halt New York Helicopter Tours’ ability to operate and to ensure others like it are safe.
“We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: They have a deadly track record,” he said during a press conference with the Hudson River behind him.
“One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try and save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Five Spanish tourists and a pilot died Thursday afternoon when the helicopter they were aboard crashed upside down into the Hudson River, as Breitbart News reported.
The victims have been identified as Agustin Escobar, a senior executive with Siemens, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, their three young children and pilot Seankese Johnson.
Video of the crash shows the helicopter entering the water after its main rotor and tail separated mid-flight.
Schumer said the NTSB is deploying divers in search of the main rotor and gearback, “which will give a lot of clues as to what happened,” the UPI report notes.
The crash has shone a another light on U.S. 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, AP reports.
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.
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