Feds Ban Harnesses Used In East River Helicopter Crash

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Passenger restraints such as the harnesses used during a deadly helicopter crash in the East River have officially been banned for doors-off or open-door flights in the United States, federal aviation officials announced.

The Federal Aviation Administration's order took effect Thursday, about one week after the aviation agency announced its intentions to regulate the safety equipment, federal officials said. All supplemental passenger restraints on doors-off or open-door flights must be able to be released quickly in an emergency going forward, officials said.

Five people died when a privately-chartered helicopter descended into the river near East 86th Street on March 11. Six people were on board when the helicopter went down, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said. The pilot was able to free himself from the aircraft, but five passengers had to be removed by FDNY and NYPD divers, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. The passengers were secured into their seats by harnesses and had to be cut out of the submerged aircraft, officials said.

"It took a while for the divers to get these people out, they worked very quickly, as fast as they could," Commissioner Nigro said the night of the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the helicopter crash, officials say. During the investigation, federal aviation officials determined that "an emergency exists related to aviation safety and safety in air commerce and requires immediate action," according to the FAA order.

The Federal Aviation Administration 's ban also prohibits any doors-off helicopter flights unless passengers are using FAA-approved restraints. These restraints must be able release quickly without the use of a knife or any other tool and must be able to be release by just one person, according to the FAA order.

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