One month after a tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River took the lives of a vacationing family from Spain, Congressman Rob Menendez is co-sponsoring bipartisan federal legislation to ban tourist and non-essential helicopters from air space around New York harbor. The proposed legislation has received the support of Hudson County Executive Craig Guy.
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) have introduced the Improving Helicopter Safety Act, which bans all non-essential helicopter traffic within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty. The bill comes in the wake of the tragic crash of an air tourism helicopter into the Hudson River off of the Hoboken shoreline on April 10, which claimed the lives of six people; the pilot and five members of the visiting family, the mother and father and three children.
“While we have consistently worked to address the impact of non-essential helicopters on our communities, last month’s tragic crash should be a clarion call for every level of government to take action on helicopter safety,” said Congressman Rob Menendez. “Rising congestion of non-essential helicopters, coupled with concerning safety records of air tourism operators, are causing a direct threat to public safety. Along with my colleagues from New Jersey and New York, we’re doing what is necessary to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”
This morning, County Executive Guy issued the following statement in support of the proposed legislation:
“I am proud to have worked with Congressman Menendez to prioritize the safety and well-being of Hudson County residents by bringing to the forefront the dangers of non-essential helicopter flights over our communities. He has been a true partner in this fight, and I fully support his efforts in Washington to pass legislation that would ban unnecessary helicopter flights within 20 miles of the Statue of Liberty. We need this bill to be the law of the land – especially after the tragic loss of six lives in last month’s helicopter crash.
“The tragic helicopter crash last month on the Hudson River was not an isolated incident; it was the latest in a long line of preventable tragedies in the New York metropolitan region’s increasingly crowded and poorly regulated airspace,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. “For far too long, non-essential helicopter flights have endangered public safety and shattered the peace of our neighborhoods. I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Improving Helicopter Safety Act with my colleagues Rob Menendez and Nicole Malliotakis to finally put an end to these dangerous flights in our region. We owe it to the victims, and to every resident living beneath these flight paths, to put safety first and prevent future disasters.”
“The tragic crash that claimed six lives in the Hudson River isn’t an isolated event, it’s the clearest sign yet of an industry that has operated without meaningful oversight for far too long and continues to pose an unacceptable public safety threat,” said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. “Congress must take action, which is why I’m joining my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan legislation to ban non-essential helicopter traffic within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty and finally rein in these helicopter tour companies.”
Since 1983, there have been at least 30 helicopter crashes in the region, resulting in at least 31 fatalities. In addition to furthering ongoing frustration over air traffic congestion in the region, this year’s crash also shed new light on serious concerns about regulatory oversight and operational standards for non-essential helicopter operations.
In addition to Menendez, Nadler, and Malliotakis, the bill is co-sponsored by three Representatives from New Jersey and New York and is supported by the grassroots advocacy organization Stop the Chop NY/NJ.