Schu calls for ’copter probe

Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday demanded a probe into the FAA policies that contributed to the deaths of five passengers in last week’s East River helicopter crash, questioning how treacherous harnesses on the “doors off ” flight were ever allowed.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday halted open-door flights following the March 11 crash, in which all but the pilot drowned after the passengers were unable to escape complex harnesses.

But Schumer is calling for the Office of the Inspector General and the National Transportation Safety Board to team up and investigate the FAA’s practices.

His appeal, which comes one week after the horrifying deaths of friends Trevor Cadigan and Brian McDaniel, both 26, Carla Vallejos Blanco, 29, Daniel Thompson, 34, and Tristan Hill, 29.

In a letter, Schumer im- plores the inspector general and NTSB to take action.

“A deep dive into the FAA policies and practices for reviewing the crashworthiness of helicopters is clearly needed in this case,” says the letter to Inspector General Calvin Scovel III and NTSB Vice Chair T. Bella Dinh-Zarr.

“Your two agencies should work together to accomplish that. In addition, your agencies should thoroughly review that exact review, testing and approval process that was conducted before authorizing this specific safety and restraint system,” the letter reads.

The sightseeing flight, operated by Liberty Helicopters, was the third crash the company had seen since 2009, Schumer’s office said.

Nine people died when one of its choppers collided with a private plane over the Hudson River in 2009.