FAA clears Nassau Police in controversial helicopter crowd dispersal
As News 12 has reported, the FAA announced it was investigating whether any regulations were broken when a Nassau County Police Department helicopter hovered at a low altitude.
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Federal investigators have cleared Nassau County officials of any wrongdoing following a controversial incident earlier this month, involving a low-flying police helicopter over a crowd of teenagers gathered at Jones Beach.
The incident, which was captured on video and first aired by News 12, showed a Nassau County police helicopter swooping down close to the sand and scattering a large group of teens with a burst of rotor wash and blowing sand. The maneuver raised concerns, as the helicopter appeared to be flying below the 1,000-foot minimum altitude required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over crowded spaces.
The FAA launched an investigation within days of the event. Now, in an exclusive update, News 12 has learned that the FAA has concluded its review and determined that there were no violations of federal aviation regulations.
"The FAA conducted a thorough investigation and did not find any violations of the regulations," a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement released Tuesday.
Despite the helicopter’s notably low altitude, the FAA did not explain why no violations were issued or what specific exceptions may have applied in this case.
Nassau County officials defended the decision to deploy the helicopter, saying the crowd control action was necessary for public safety.
“I’m impressed with our pilots,” said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. “There was a fight going on between two sides. They dispersed them and they all went home happy and safe.”
