The United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says New York Helicopter Tours — the company whose chopper was involved in the deadly crash in the Hudson River last Thursday — is shutting down its operations immediately.
In a statement issued on Monday, the FAA said it would also be launching an “immediate review” of the tour operator’s license and safety record.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, but its sudden descent stunned dozens as first responders raced to rescue the victims.
Accounts of witnesses in multiple reports described the helicopter flipping and spiraling before crashing near the New Jersey shoreline upside down, scattering debris across the river.
Advertisement
The helicopter had six people aboard, including Agustín Escobar and Mercè Camprubí, a couple, and their three children. The couple worked for Siemens, a German multinational technology conglomerate.
Escobar was the CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, Spain, while Camprubí, his wife, was the global commercialisation manager for Siemens Energy, an independent company that spun off from Siemens AG in 2020, according to her LinkedIn page.
The pilot was identified as Seankese Johnson, a 36-year-old former US Navy SEAL certified to fly commercial helicopters in August 2023.
Advertisement
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Johnson had completed 788 hours in the air.
Federal aviation authorities said the company operating the helicopter was previously involved in two safety incidents.
Over the weekend, the NTSB noted that the helicopter was not equipped with any flight data recorders, including video or camera recorders, and none of its onboard avionics recorded information that could be used for the investigation.
The agency also said the helicopter’s last major inspection was on March 1, and it had completed seven tour flights before the accident.
Advertisement
On broad helicopter safety, the FAA said it is already analysing airplane/helicopter hotspots nationwide, and will host an informative panel on findings.
