If the Feds don’t step up to ban “non-essential” helicopter traffic in New York City, Congress must, Rep. Jerry Nadler says.
The Jan. 26 crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others may be the tragic tipping point on pending legislation in the House, and what spurs the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Despite at least 30 private helicopter crashes on record in New York City since 1983, the FAA has failed time and time again to take meaningful action to improve the safety of New York City’s airspace,” said Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn).
In October, Nadler and fellow Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez unveiled their bill to restrict commercial helicopter rides. The Improving Helicopter Safety Act is currently languishing in committee.
They drafted the legislation after a sight-seeing helicopter crashed into the East River on March 11, 2018, killing five passengers. The most recent fatality came in June, when a helicopter crash-landed on a midtown skyscraper, killing the pilot Tim McCormack.
Following that crash, the lawmakers wrote the FAA, which “not only ignored our urgent request, it failed to do anything to decrease the potential dangers of a helicopter accident in the most densely populated city in the United States,” Nadler fumed.
“In light of the large increase in helicopter flights and the recent tragedy in Southern California, it is obvious that the FAA must act urgently to regulate non-essential helicopter traffic over urban areas. If the FAA does not act, Congress must step in,” the lawmaker said.
Nadler spokesman Robert Gottheim said the FAA has the authority to “make a statement” by immediately issuing a Temporary Flight Restriction over New York City.
“They could issue a TFR over New York City because of the urban area and the dense air space, he said. “The fact that the airspace is under visual flight rules is ludicrous.”
Under visual flight rules, pilots must have at least three miles of visibility and a cloud ceiling of no less than 1,000 feet above the ground. Nadler wants to eliminate “unnecessary flights” but until then would prefer air traffic controllers or high-tech radar to guide local helicopters rather than just pilot “see and avoid” tactics.
Gottheim said the lawmakers are considering expanding their bill to call for a so-called black box, collision avoidance systems and other safety features.
The FAA said it “does not comment on pending legislation.”