Nassau police using helicopter to disperse crowd at Jones Beach was proper, FAA says

Nassau County police acted properly when they used a police helicopter to disperse a large crowd at Jones Beach earlier this month, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA had said it would investigate the use of the helicopter to disperse about 500 people gathered at Jones Beach on June 5. The helicopter was captured on video flying at low altitudes over the crowd before circling back while  Nassau and state park police worked on the ground to disperse the crowd.

FAA officials announced an investigation last week, citing a rule, which also applies to law enforcement, that "no pilot may operate an aircraft below an altitude where, if the engine fails, an emergency landing cannot be made without creating an undue hazard to people or property on the surface."

In a statement Tuesday, the FAA said it had "conducted a thorough investigation and did not find any violations of the regulations."

FAA officials did not elaborate on the findings.

Police said high school and college students descended on Jones Beach following a flyer advertising a beach party on social media. The large gathering led to several fights after 6 p.m. near the central mall, leading to four minor injuries. A Valley Stream man also was arrested after police said he lifted his shirt to show what appeared to be the handle of a gun in his waistband.

FAA regulations require all aircraft, including helicopters, to maintain a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet over congested areas and a minimum of 500 feet over other areas "except over open water or sparsely populated areas."

Helicopters can fly at lower elevations, "provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA."

Nassau County police said last week they were cooperating with the FAA’s investigation.

"We are grateful that at the conclusion of the investigation by the FAA, there was no finding of rule or regulation violations by our outstanding helicopter pilots who did an amazing job diffusing a situation that could have resulted in injury to our young people," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in a statement on Tuesday.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.