The tour company involved in the deadly helicopter crash near New York City last week is shutting down immediately, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The closure of New York Helicopter Tours comes just days after a family of five and the pilot on board died when the Bell 206 L-4 crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, April 10.
“The FAA will be launching an immediate review of the tour operator’s license and safety record,” the agency wrote in a statement shared on X over the weekend, sharing that they will continue to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s ongoing investigation.
“On the topic of helicopter safety broadly: 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 agency added. “Safety is the FAA’s number one priority and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public.”
An employee of New York Helicopter Tours said she had no information about the closure when contacted by PEOPLE. The FAA offered no other information besides what was posted on social media about the news.
Related: Operator of Helicopter That Crashed in Hudson River Reveals Pilot Radioed to Say He ‘Needed Fuel’ Before Tragedy
New York Helicopter Tours LLC
Agustín Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children died in the crash
At the The crash occurred on Thursday afternoon not long after the helicopter, flown by pilot and Navy SEAL veteran Sean Johnson, departed from Manhattan. Agustín Escobar, the chief executive of Siemens’ rail infrastructure division in Spain, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children were also on board.
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Over the weekend, the NTSB revealed that the helicopter did not have a black box, an electronic recording device used to investigate aviation incidents.
“The helicopter was not equipped with any flight recorders. No onboard video recorders or camera recorders have been recovered, and none of the helicopter avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation,” the NTSB said.
Related: Victims Identified in N.Y.C. Helicopter Crash as Spanish Siemens Executive and His Family
AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz
First responders on the scene near where the helicopter crashed on April 10
The organization added that “investigators met with representatives from the helicopter’s operator, New York Helicopter Charter Inc., to review operational records, policies and procedures, safety management systems and the pilot’s experience,” and the NTSB “also examined two exemplar helicopters.”
That same day, the NTSB revealed that the helicopter had last been inspected on March 1 and had been on seven tour flights on the day of the tragic crash.
Sean Johnson/Facebook
Pilot Sean Johnson died when the helicopter he was flying crashed into the Hudson River
In a tribute on Instagram, New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the crash an “unimaginable tragedy.”
“Six individuals, including three beautiful children, were taken from us far too soon,” he wrote. “Their memories will forever be a part of our city, but let us remember the smiles they had on their faces when they left.”
Read the original article on People
