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Helicopter's Unauthorized Landing In Crown Heights Vacant Lot Prompts High-Altitude Police Pursuit
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Nov 5, 2021
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Nov 5, 2021
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A private helicopter made an unauthorized landing in a Brooklyn vacant lot on Thursday, police said, prompting an aerial police chase that ended in New Jersey.
Video shows the chopper landing and taking off inside a fenced-in lot at Troy Avenue and Carroll Street in Crown Heights. According witnesses who spoke to the Daily News, the helicopter made multiple landings on the residential corner on Thursday afternoon, at one point appearing to drop off a passenger.
After concerned onlookers tipped off police, an NYPD helicopter pursued the wayward chopper — ultimately landing at the Lakewood Municipal Airport.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that they identified the pilot and the aircraft, and had referred the incident to the Federal Aviation Association. The agency did not return a request for comment.
Steve Reinman, the manager of Lakewood Airport, said there was a "discussion" between police and the pilot, before everyone went their separate ways.
"It’s a helicopter that comes into our airport from time to time based out in Long Island," Reinman told WNYC/Gothamist. "Yesterday they came in and were followed in by an NYPD chopper. Apparently they allegedly did something in New York that was not authorized."
New Yorkers have reported a surge in helicopter noise in the last year, and some elected officials have moved to ban non-essential chopper trips over the five boroughs.
"Literally the continuing #wildwest over NYC metro area!" the anti-helicopter group, Stop The Chop NY/NJ, tweeted about the incident. "Ban them now!"
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helicopter
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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