Viewing the Manhattan skyline from any vantage point is impressive, but when seen from aloft the Big Apple skyline becomes a breathtaking experience. In March 2018, a New York tour operator launched an Airbus AS350 helicopter with a pilot and five passengers for what was expected to be a 30-minute dusk flight near the East River. The spectacular element of the flight—in addition to flying at 500 feet—was that most of the helicopter’s doors were removed, allowing passengers to extend their feet outside the machine. Riders were kept in their seats by a special restraining system that needed to be cut off during an emergency. The preflight briefing included instructions from the pilot on how to locate and use the cutting tool for the harnesses if it were needed.
NTSB Says Enough to Helicopter Flights With Open Doors
Key Takeaways:
- A 2018 doors-off helicopter crash in New York's East River, caused by a passenger restraint system tangling with the fuel shutoff valve, led to five passenger drownings due to their inability to escape complex, non-manufacturer-installed harnesses.
- The NTSB determined the accident was survivable, but the tour operators exploited a "aerial photography" regulatory loophole to avoid stricter commercial air tour oversight and exhibited deficient safety management regarding the risks of supplemental restraints and escape.
- The NTSB strongly urged the FAA to close this loophole, implement a single set of national safety standards for all air tour operations, and prohibit supplemental restraints that cannot be rapidly released without cutting or forceful removal.
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