Helicopter Tour Company Shuts Down After Crash That Killed Pilot and Spanish Family

A New York Police Department scuba team looks for debris, Friday, April 11, 2025, where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Sunday that New York Helicopter Tours is shutting down operations immediately following a tragic midair crash that killed the pilot and five members of a visiting Spanish family. The agency also stated it would begin a comprehensive review of the company’s operating license and safety record.

The move came just hours after a public call from Senator Chuck Schumer urging federal authorities to revoke the company’s operating permits. Schumer demanded an immediate halt to all flights while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the fatal incident.

The crash occurred Thursday when the sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and plunged into the Hudson River. All six people on board were killed. The victims included pilot Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023, and a Spanish family: Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children — Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10.

Schumer said on Sunday that stronger federal oversight of tour companies is needed, accusing operators of prioritizing profits over safety. “One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: they have a deadly track record.”

Sightseeing helicopter tours remain a popular attraction in New York, offering aerial views of landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. But safety concerns have persisted for years. In the past two decades, five commercial sightseeing helicopters have crashed into the Hudson and East Rivers due to pilot error, mechanical failure, or collisions, resulting in 20 fatalities.

Thursday’s crash has reignited calls to ban nonessential helicopter flights over the city. While the city imposed a cap of 30,000 annual flights from Manhattan heliports in 2016, many operators shifted their services to New Jersey to bypass the limits.

In 2018, five people died in an East River crash during an “open door” helicopter flight when a passenger's harness snagged on a fuel shut-off switch, causing the engine to fail.

The president of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth, did not respond to inquiries, but the company issued a statement saying it is cooperating fully with the investigation.

An industry group, the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, responded to Schumer’s remarks by defending the safety standards under which sightseeing helicopters currently operate. “We stand ready to work with leaders on finding ways to ensure the safety and preservation of our businesses and aviation community,” the group said.

The cause of Thursday’s crash remains under investigation. Rescue divers are continuing to search for critical components of the aircraft, including the main rotor and assembly gearbox, which are expected to provide insight into the failure.