New York Helicopter, involved in fatal Hudson crash, shutting down, FAA says

The helicopter company involved in the fatal crash on the Hudson River Thursday is shutting down operations immediately, the Federal Aviation Administration announced in a statement Sunday.

New York Helicopter, which operated the single-engine sightseeing aircraft in the crash that killed six, made its decision as the FAA announced a review of the tour operator's license and safety record in addition to the National Transportation and Safety Board crash investigation, the agency said.

Officials at New York Helicopter could not be immediately reached for comment. A message on the company’s website Sunday night said the company is fully cooperating with the NTSB and FAA and referred all media inquiries to the government agencies.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families,” New York Helicopter's statement concluded.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called New York Helicopter's decision "good news" in an emailed statement to Newsday Sunday night, calling the company a "danger to the public."

Earlier Sunday, Schumer called on the FAA to suspend New York Helicopter’s operating license until federal authorities fully investigate the crash.

He had also demanded that the FAA conduct more surprise inspections of all Manhattan-based helicopter tour companies.

“It is usually the companies — not the pilots — that are openly manipulating FAA rules, cutting corners and could well be putting profits over people,” Schumer said during a news conference at the Manhattan heliport on Sunday.

Jeff Smith, chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, which represents local helicopter pilots and companies, released a statement asking the public “not to jump to any conclusions."

“The horrible events of Thursday are still under review," Smith wrote. "We need to fully understand what happened before any actions are taken to ensure we get it right and nothing like this can ever happen again."

Video of Thursday’s crash showed the seven-seat helicopter plunging upside down toward the river with its top propellers no longer spinning. The video also appeared to show a piece of the helicopter flying off the aircraft before it crashes into the Hudson near Pier 40 at West Houston Street.

The crash killed a family of five, including two adults and three children, visiting from Spain.

They were identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar Canadas, 49; his wife, Mercè Camprubi Montal, 39, who also worked for the company; and their children: 10-year-old Agustin Escobar Camprubi, 8-year-old Mercedes Escobar Camprubi and 4-year-old Victor Escobar Camprubi.

The father was in town for a business trip, while the family joined him to celebrate the mother's upcoming 40th birthday and the birthday of Mercedes, who would have turned 9 on Friday, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said last week.

Escobar was global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. Before he took this role in October 2024, he was CEO Siemens Spain and Siemens Mobility Spain, the company said in a statement.

The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who recently moved to the city.

NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said Friday that Johnson had 788 hours of total flight time and that the NTSB had collected the pilot's log book.

Homendy said Friday that “everything was on the table” for the NTSB investigation, including a deep dive into any potential mechanical issues, the qualifications of the pilot, the safety record of the operator and owner, air travel conditions and reports, still unconfirmed, that a flock of birds could have been involved in the accident.

A preliminary NTSB report is expected in 30 days while the full report could take one to two years, the agency said.

With Bahar Ostadan and Robert Brodsky

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.