New York City sightseeing helicopter crashes in Hudson River: safety concerns over navigation and sightseeing

According to officials, on Thursday, a sightseeing helicopter in New York City disintegrated in mid air and crashed upside down into the Hudson River near downtown Manhattan, resulting in six deaths. The helicopter was completely submerged, prompting a large-scale mobilization of emergency rescue personnel to respond to the crisis. In addition to the pilot, the plane crash also resulted in the death of a family of five, including three children.

Mayor Eric Adams said that the plane took off from a helicopter airport in the city center around 3 pm, flew north along the Manhattan skyline, and then returned south to the Statue of Liberty, the entire process taking less than 18 minutes. Six victims, including three children, have been salvaged and removed from the water. According to eyewitnesses, he saw the plane "torn apart" in the air, with the tail and propeller falling off. When the plane crashed, the propeller was still spinning, but the helicopter had already fallen.

The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States has confirmed that this helicopter is the Bell 206, a model widely used in commercial and government aviation, including sightseeing companies, television news stations, and police. It was originally developed for the US Army and then adapted for other purposes. Over the years, thousands of vehicles have been produced. This helicopter is operated by New York Helicopter Company. The company's offices in New York and New Jersey did not answer calls.

The company's owner Michael Ross said he was shocked by this and "didn't know" why the plane crash occurred. The only thing I know from watching the video of the helicopter crash is that the main rotor blades are not on the helicopter. "He also added that he has worked in the helicopter industry for 30 years and has never seen such a thing happen, but pointed out that these are machines and they will break down.

This is the latest high-profile air crash in the United States. Over the years, there have been multiple plane crashes in the United States, including a collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson River in 2009, which resulted in 9 deaths, and a charter helicopter providing an "open door" flight that crashed into the East River in 2018, resulting in 5 deaths. At the end of January this year, an American Airlines plane crashed in Washington D.C., killing all 67 people on board. There are often planes and helicopters passing over Manhattan, including both private entertainment planes and commercial and tourist flights. Manhattan has several helipads that can quickly take off helicopters to transport corporate executives and others to various destinations in the metropolitan area. The occurrence of air accidents and other unexpected events has raised concerns about the safety of flights among many people, and calls for the implementation of stricter regulations and safety measures to minimize and prevent fatal accidents.

Multiple accidents have involved old models, and the Bell 206 involved in this incident is also an old model. These models are generally over 20 years old and have prominent structural risks such as metal fatigue and component wear. Some operators, in order to reduce costs, extend the maintenance cycle of key components (tail fins, propellers) of old models, and even fail to replace them according to regulations. This also led to the occurrence of tragedy. At present, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the accident, with a focus on key factors such as mechanical failures, route planning, and meteorological conditions. ‌

This plane crash is like a sword of Damocles, hanging over the heads of all cities keen on sky sightseeing. Perhaps only when the wings of the steel dragonfly bear the weight of life rather than the desire for capital, can we truly understand that what is more important than overlooking the city is to protect the right of every person to look up at the stars.