Emergency helicopter landing in Bayonne renews safety concerns over Hudson tours
In September, a lawsuit was filed against FlyNYON and other operators, alleging flights are flying too low, creating excessive noise and operating outside permitted hours.
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A helicopter on a maintenance flight made an emergency landing in Bayonne Tuesday morning after the pilot reported engine trouble while flying over the Hudson River, renewing concerns about the safety of non-essential helicopter operations in the region.
Audio from air traffic control captures the tense moments as the pilot declared a mayday.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday. We have low RPM," the pilot can be heard saying.
Air traffic controllers worked with the pilot to identify a safe landing location.
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"954 Roger. Have you seen a good spot there at the piers?" an air traffic controller asked.
The helicopter ultimately made a hard landing at the Port Jersey Marine Terminal in Bayonne. The aircraft is operated by FlyNYON, a company that offers aerial sightseeing tours over New York City and the Hudson River.
Before landing, the pilot informed controllers that two people were on board and that the helicopter was carrying approximately 500 pounds of fuel.
The incident comes as several Hudson County communities and state leaders continue pushing to end non-essential helicopter tour operations over the Hudson River corridor.
"They should see the harm that they're causing our communities, that they're putting people in danger, both in their aircrafts and on the ground in the communities that they fly over," said Rep. Rob Menendez.
The fight against helicopter tours has also moved into the courtroom. In September, a lawsuit was filed against FlyNYON and other operators, alleging flights are flying too low, creating excessive noise and operating outside permitted hours.
Following Tuesday's emergency landing, Rep. Menendez said the Federal Aviation Administration is opening an investigation into the safety practices and oversight of non-essential helicopter flights.
"We're going to push them to get this audit done as quickly as possible for our communities," Menendez said.
The congressman said his ultimate goal is to see sightseeing helicopter tours grounded altogether."They can do the right thing and shut down their operations because it's non-essential," Menendez said.
"It doesn't serve an essential purpose for our communities. They're not first responders."
The hard landing in Bayonne is once again raising questions about the safety of helicopter operations over the Hudson River, an issue that has become a growing concern for residents and elected officials on both sides of the river.
No injuries were immediately reported.
