FAA Halts Some 'Doors Off' Helicopter Flights After NYC Crash

NEW YORK, NY — The Federal Aviation Administration announced a ban Friday on some "doors off" helicopter flights after Sunday's deadly helicopter crash in the East River. The agency said it will not allow flights in open helicopters if passengers are strapped in with restraints that can't be easily released in an emergency.

Five people were killed Sunday night when such a flight crash-landed in the East River. Officials said passengers chartered the flight over Manhattan for a photo shoot. First-responders had to cut the passengers out of their harnesses during the rescue operation, officials said.

The FAA said it will order helicopter pilots and operators to "control or mitigate" the risk posed by restraints that could leave passengers trapped when there's a need to evacuate. Regulators said Tuesday that they would pay "urgent attention" to the use of harnesses in photography flights following the crash, according to The New York Times.

"Additionally, the FAA will conduct a top to bottom review of its rules governing these flights to examine any potential misapplication that could create safety gaps for passengers," the agency said in a statement Friday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter, owned by New Jersey-based Liberty Helicopter Tours, flipped upside down after it hit the water and was "substantially damaged."

NTSB investigators have found no evidence of problems with the helicopter's engine or flight controls, the board said Thursday. The agency said it has interviewed Richard Vance, the pilot who survived the crash, and continues to interview witnesses.

(Lead image: National Transportation Safety Board aviation engineer Harald Reichel examines the engine of the helicopter that crashed into the East River on March 11, 2018. Photo by National Transportation Safety Board/Flickr)