U.S.
inspector general to probe FAA helicopter oversight
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department's inspector general
said on Tuesday it will probe the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA)
oversight of doors-off helicopter operations after a New York crash in March
2018 that killed five people.
The wreckage of a
chartered Liberty Helicopters helicopter that crashed into the East River is
hoisted from the water in New York, U.S., March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon
Stapleton
The review sought by U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of
New York comes after a doors-off Eurocopter AS350 chartered by Liberty
Helicopters of New Jersey crashed in the East River, killing all five
passengers, who were on a private photo-shoot trip over New York City. The
helicopter's pilot survived.
The five passengers had been tightly harnessed and they were allowed to lean
out of the open doors to take photos. After the crash, the harnesses had to be
cut and removed to free the passengers.
The senators asked the inspector general to determine how the safety restraint
system used during the Liberty Helicopters crash received its original approval
from the FAA, and how the FAA reviewed, tested and approved the supplemental
restraint system.
The FAA declined to comment on the inspector general review.
Tourist helicopter rides over New York are popular, starting at around $250 and
lasting 15 to 25 minutes.
After another fatal helicopter crash in New York last month, in which a pilot
flying alone in bad weather crashed into a Manhattan high-rise, a group of nine
lawmakers urged the FAA to ban all non-essential helicopter flights over New
York City. "There is no justification for allowing tourists to joy-ride
through our skies, endangering people below and adding to the heavy burden of
noise pollution residents already endure," they wrote.
In March 2018, the FAA issued an emergency order prohibiting doors-off
helicopter flights unless passengers had quick-release restraints. The FAA also
said last year it was conducting a "top to bottom review" of its
rules governing such flights.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said last year in its
preliminary report on the East River crash that the pilot told investigators
the emergency fuel shut-off switch had been accidentally tripped moments before
the crash.
Two of the five passengers died at the scene and the three others died later
after being taken to local hospitals.
The NTSB report said the passengers had restraint systems installed by the
manufacturer as well as a harness system comprised of off-the-shelf components
consisting of a nylon fall-protection harness that was attached at the
occupants' back by a locking carabineer to a lanyard.
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