NYC Helicopter Ride Sparked Safety Concern Months Before Fatal Crash
- Safety inspector wasn’t sure he had authority to regulate
- NTSB votes to recommend FAA to ban such open-door flights
Rescue boats after a helicopter crashed in the East River on March 11, 2018.
Photographer: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
A government safety inspector who saw a popular New York City, doors-off sightseeing helicopter flight operation six months before a fatal 2018 crash called it “unorthodox,” but officials thought they had no authority to regulate it and allowed it to continue, an investigation has found.
The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday concluded the Federal Aviation Administration’s lack of oversight contributed to the cause of the March 11, 2018, crash in the East River that killed five. The NTSB also voted to call on the FAA to ban such open-door flights for hire until it adopts stricter standards on the use of the special harnesses passengers wear.