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NY lawmakers seek boost to helicopter safety 1 year after Hudson River crash
By
Rhiannon Rashidi
Published Apr 11, 2026
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By
Rhiannon Rashidi
Published Apr 11, 2026
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A bipartisan group of congressmembers has introduced a bill that would raise safety standards in the helicopter industry long criticized for lax regulation — one year after a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five visiting from Spain.
U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler and his allies are the latest in a long line of lawmakers and advocates who have tried to rein in the helicopter industry in the New York City area with little success. Four similar bills have been introduced by congressmembers from New York and New Jersey in the last seven years, but none of them made it out of committee.
Nadler’s bill would require helicopters to adhere to the same safety standards as commercial airplanes by eliminating a regulatory loophole for aircrafts that take off and land from the same port and don’t travel more than 25 miles.
“The impact of their untimely deaths has reverberated far beyond this site and has brought much needed attention to the acute necessity of increased safety for helicopters,” said Nadler, who represents parts of Manhattan. “The bill puts forth a simple notion: Helicopters should be held to the same safety standards as airplanes.”
Nadler spoke on Thursday, exactly one year after the crash that killed Agustin Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children, along with Navy veteran Seankese Johnson, who was flying the chopper for the sightseeing company New York Helicopters. Just 16 minutes into the flight, the helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed into the Hudson River. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation remains ongoing.
“We want to keep their memories alive. And we believe the best way to do that is by strengthening the safety standards for sightseeing helicopters,” said Joan Camprubi Montal, a relative of the Spanish tourists who joined Nadler’s press conference. “No other family should have to experience the loss of family that we experienced.”
The Helicopter Safety and Parity Act would tighten requirements on visibility for a commercial helicopter pilot to fly, cruising altitude and training. The bill also includes funding for regulators to enforce the new standards.
But passing the bill looks like a longshot, even with Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' support. Just 10 of the 83 bills that have become law in President Donald Trump’s second term were introduced by Democrats.
Helicopters have been a subject of controversy around New York City for decades. Residents of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront have complained about noise, pollution and the danger of a crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the crash is ongoing.
NTSB
“The New York delegation has, in the past, tried to do more outright bans and say that there shouldn’t be sightseeing helicopter tours … but that’s not the approach of this [bill],” said Vincent Lesch, a lawyer for the Escobar Camprubi family. “If they can make every helicopter operation safer by holding it to the higher standard, then that would be better for everyone.”
At least 15 helicopter emergencies have been recorded in the five boroughs since the 1970s, according to the Associated Press. In 1977, an idling chopper on the roof of what’s now the MetLife Building tipped over. The rotor plummeted to the street and five people were killed.
In 2018, a “doors off” tourist helicopter crashed into the East River, killing all five passengers on board. Such flights offered more dramatic views and photographs because the doors were open. But the practice also made the flights even more dangerous, experts said.
Shortly after the crash, the FAA placed restrictions on open-door flights nationwide, and New York banned them altogether. In 2019, a helicopter crashed into a 54-story building in Midtown, killing the pilot.
“It's an uphill battle to get legislation passed at any level of government, whether it's city, state, or federal,” said Melissa Elstein of Stop the Chop, which has long pressed for a ban on nonessential helicopter flights. “With regard to anything related to aircrafts, the FAA generally will push back to maintain the status quo.”
Michael Roth, who owned New York Helicopter Tours before it was forced to close, said the company always followed safety requirements. He said the NTSB investigation will find his company did nothing wrong.
“We were devastated by the crash. My wife didn’t stop crying for months after,” Roth said. “If there was ever a question of anything being wrong, I would immediately ground the aircraft.”
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manhattan
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Rhiannon Rashidi
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