The Federal Aviation Administration accused the proprietor of the corporate behind final week’s deadly Hudson River helicopter crash of firing its director of operations in obvious retaliation for voluntarily shutting down all copter excursions — and has ordered the corporate grounded.
New York Helicopter should “immediately surrender” its air service certificates within the wake of Thursday’s lethal crash and its CEO’s obvious resolution to sack the operations director over the weekend, which raised “serious safety concerns,” the FAA’s performing administrator, Chris Rocheleau, introduced on X.com Monday evening in an “emergency order of suspension.”
In keeping with the order, company officers known as New York Helicopter’s director of operations, Jason Costello, on Sunday requesting the corporate stop operations whereas the FAA and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board investigated the crash.
A helicopter broke aside in midair and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River between Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront Thursday, April, 10, 2025, killing six individuals on board. (Bruce Wall through AP)
Sixteen minutes later, New York Helicopter CEO Michael Roth despatched the FAA an replace. In keeping with the order: he didn’t authorize the transfer to stop operations, and Costello not works for New York Helicopter.
“The immediate firing of the director of operations raises serious safety concerns because it appears Mr. Roth retaliated against Mr. Costello for making the safety decision to cease operations during the investigations,” the FAA’s legal professionals wrote.
Gardiner Anderson / New York Day by day Information
Particles from a helicopter crash is seen within the Hudson River in Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Gardiner Anderson / New York Day by day Information)
That obvious firing factored into the FAA’s resolution to floor New York Helicopter.
“NY Helicopter does not have a qualified person serving in the position of director of operations,” the FAA legal professionals wrote. “The continued operations on NY Helicopter pose an unacceptable risk to safety in air commerce.”
The Bell 206 helicopter, which had no geared up flight recorders, was on its eighth tour of the day when it dropped from the sky throughout a sightseeing tour Thursday afternoon, based on the Nationwide Transportation Security Board.
Agustin Escobar, his spouse, Merce Camprubi Montal, with two of their three youngsters are pictured in an undated picture. The household was killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Fb)
Spanish vacationers Agustin Escobar, the CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility; his spouse, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three younger youngsters all died within the crash, as did pilot Seankese “Sean” Johnson, after items of the helicopter, together with the rotor, appeared to interrupt off in midair.
Sean Johnson, the pilot of the helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, April 10, 2025, with a household of 5 aboard. (Fb)
The helicopter overturned and fell from the sky, hitting the river the wrong way up.
Initially Revealed: April 15, 2025 at 2:12 PM EDT
