Biz blamed in fatal flight
A helicopter company exploited a massive loophole last year before its doors-off aircraft crashed in the East River, trapping five passengers who drowned when they could not escape their harnesses, federal investigators said Tuesday.
Strict standards exist for sightseeing tours, but by calling the trip a photography flight, operators were able to take advantage of a loophole, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The company, FlyNYON, instructed employees to avoid such terms as “air tour” or “sightseeing” when describing its operations so it would not lose business under its photography exception, which allowed the business to fly under the same regulations as private pilots and hobbyists, investigators said.
“This is a loophole that one could fly a helicopter or drive a truck through,” NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said at a Washington hearing on the crash.
Five passengers in the helicopter chartered for a photo shoot were killed in March 2018 after a fuel problem caused the aircraft to plunge into the chilly East River in a crash that was caught on video.
The impact near E. 89th St. and Roosevelt Island did not appear to be extremely violent, but the chopper turned upside down. Even so, the passengers might have survived had they not been held in place by harnesses that could only be cut with a provided knife, the board said. The pilot, who was wearing only a seat belt, emerged from the frigid water desperately yelling for help.
Investigators said the chopper lost power after a tether meant to keep a passenger from falling out got caught on a floor-mounted fuel shutoff switch, stopping the engine 11 minutes into the scheduled 30-minute flight.
FlyNYON faulted the helicopter’s design, which investigators said was a factor. But the NTSB put most of the blame for the passenger deaths on the company for the harnesses and the loophole.
“FlyNYON has done just about everything they can to skirt safety, accountability and best practices within their industry,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.). “The helicopter company has proven time and again to be reckless, brazen and a hazard high above, and even down below.”
The company said in a statement that safety has always been its “first priority and we have made changes to our operations to help ensure an accident like this never happens again.”
The FAA grounded doorsoff flights after the crash, but the agency has since implemented rules mandating restraints that are easier to release.