The FAA has issued an emergency grounding order for New York City Helicopter Tours after a tragic crash in the Hudson River claimed the lives of six passengers. Investigators from the NTSB are examining the recovered rotor system to understand the cause of the incident. The grounding decision follows the operator's voluntary shutdown of flights, shortly before the director of operations was terminated. A comprehensive review of the helicopter company's compliance and safety management is now underway.
Video of the crash widely circulated online shows debris being ejected into the air as the rotorless helicopter body crashes upside down into the water.
FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau said the agency implemented the order 'in part because after the company's director of operations voluntarily shut down flights, he was fired.'
A comprehensive review of New York City Helicopter Tours' operations, known as a Certificate Holder Evaluation Program, has begun to determine whether it complied with all applicable regulations and effectively managed safety.
The NTSB has been working to retrieve the helicopter wreckage for the river, stating that divers were able to recover and secure the helicopter's main rotor system.
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