The New York City sightseeing helicopter company involved in a terrible Hudson River crash last week that claimed the lives of six people, including children, has shut down their operations, federal officials announced.
The tragic April 10 crash happened near the New Jersey shoreline with witnesses saying that around 3:18 p.m., they saw the helicopter’s main rotor and tail falling apart as smoke billowed out of the chopper and it plunged into the water, the Associated Press reported.
Everyone aboard, a family of five visiting from Spain with their three young children, as well as the pilot, a U.S. Navy veteran, died.
Their bodies were later recovered from the river.
“New York Helicopter Tours – the company involved in the deadly crash on the Hudson earlier this week – is shutting down their operations immediately,” officials with the Federal Aviation Administration posted to X Sunday evening.
FAA officials added that they will continue to support the investigation into the crash being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and are launching a review of the tour operator’s license and safety record.
“Lastly on the topic of helicopter safely 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 post continued.
Officials went on to say that the FAA’s main priority is protecting the flying public.
