After deadly helicopter crash in New York, tour company shuts down operations, FAA says

New York Helicopter Tours, the company involved in the deadly crash on the Hudson River last week, is shutting down its operations immediately, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Sunday night.

The FAA said it will be launching “an immediate review of the tour operator’s license and safety record as it continue to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into Thursday night’s crash that killed a family of five from Spain and the chopper’s pilot.

“Lastly, on the topic of helicopter safety 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 FAA added in its statement on X. “Safety is the FAA’s number one priority, and we will not hesitate to act to protect the flying public.”

The announcement comes following an earlier request Sunday by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that New York Helicopter Tours pause all flights while the NTSB investigates the fatal crash.

Michael Roth, owner and CEO of New York Helicopter Charter, declined to comment beyond a statement provided before the FAA’s announcement: “At this time, our sole focus is on assisting the NTSB in its investigation and grieving the tragic loss of life that occurred on Thursday.”

CBS News has also reached out to his lawyer for comment.

Schumer accuses helicopter tour companies of “cutting corners”

Schumer, New York’s senior U.S. senator, also called on the FAA to ramp up safety inspections for other helicopter tour companies, accusing them of “cutting corners and putting profits over people.”

The victims of Thursday’s crash included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot was Sean Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023.

“One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Schumer said. “We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: they have a deadly track record.”

The crash has renewed safety concerns about New York’s sightseeing excursions, a popular tourist draw that whisks passengers high above the city, offering soaring views of the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center and other landmarks.

Hours after the crash, Mayor Eric Adams told CBS News New York, “helicopters are safe and it’s part of the New York experience.”

Renewed helicopter safety concerns in NYC

In the last two decades, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have fallen into the Hudson and East rivers as a result of mechanical failures, pilot errors or collisions, killing 20 people.

City Councilwoman Gale Brewer said she has been sounding the alarm for decades.

“I’d love to see a law in Congress signed by the president that says helicopters, non-essential, cannot fly over New York City or any other city,” Brewer said.

As family and friends continue to grieve, they are seeking accountability.

“Something absolutely has to change, because not only was Sean’s life lost, but, you know, two parents and three children, you know,” said Remi Adeleke, a friend of the pilot Johnson.

In response to Schumer’s calls for more oversight, an industry group, Eastern Region Helicopter Council, said Manhattan’s sightseeing choppers “already operate under the most stringent of regulations,” as it generates $78 million annually to New York City.

“We stand ready to work with leaders on finding ways to ensure the safety and preservation of our businesses and aviation community,” the group said.

Critics of the industry have long sought to limit or entirely ban nonessential helicopter flights from taking off above the city, though they have had limited success. After New York City capped the number of flights that could take off from Manhattan heliports at 30,000 annually in 2016, many companies moved operations to New Jersey.

Two years later, in 2018, five people died when a helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed in the East River after a passenger’s restraint tether snagged on a fuel switch, stopping the engine.

The cause of Thursday’s crash has not yet been determined. According to Schumer, dive teams on Sunday continued to scour chilly waters for a rotor and a gearbox, missing helicopter parts that could hold clues.

contributed to this report.