The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order grounding the helicopter tour company involved in the deadly crash in New York as federal officials continue to investigate the incident.
Jason Costello, then director of operations at New York Helicopter Charter, Inc., voluntarily agreed to shut down operations on April 13 after a Bell 206 helicopter the company operated plunged into the Hudson River, killing six people, according to the FAA. But just sixteen minutes after Costello confirmed this, the company’s CEO Michael Roth fired Costello, telling the FAA via email that he did not authorize the halt and Costello was no longer his employee.
“The immediate firing of the Director of Operations raise serious safety concerns because it appears Mr. Roth retaliated against Mr. Costello for making the safety decision to cease operations during the investigation,” FAA officials said in the emergency order, adding that the company no longer has a qualified person serving as director of operations.
Roth and someone who answered the phone at New York Helicopter Tours declined to comment when reached by USA TODAY. Attempts to contact Costello were unsuccessful.
What happened during the crash?
The helicopter, which is owned by Louisiana-based company Meridian Helicopters LLC, took off at around 3 p.m. on April 10 from a heliport in downtown Manhattan for an aerial tour of the city, authorities said. The helicopter crashed about 15 minutes later near Jersey City, New Jersey, officials said.
Video of the incident captured the helicopter and a detached rotor descending into the water. The pilot, Seankese Johnson, and passengers Agustin Escobar, his wife, and their three young children were killed in the crash.
The crash revived safety concerns about the aerial tourism industry. Helicopter tours in New York have been controversial and in some cases deadly, USA TODAY reported.
Records obtained by USA TODAY showed that New York Helicopter Charter Inc. was involved in two prior safety incidents. The downed helicopter’s last major inspection was on March 1, and it completed seven tour flights before the crash, according to the NTSB.
Crash under federal investigation
The FAA is conducting a review, known as a Certificate Holder Evaluation Program, which will determine whether the operator complies with regulations, effectively manages safety, and identifies hazards and risks, acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau said April 14 on X.
If the company does not immediately surrender its air-carrier certificate amid the investigation, it could face “further legal enforcement action, including a civil penalty of up to $17,062 a day for each day it fails to surrender the certificate,” according to the order.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating. Investigators with the agency have met with representatives from New York Helicopter Charter Inc. to review operational records, policies and procedures, safety management systems, and the pilot’s experience as part of the probe, the agency said April 12.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, but aviation experts previously told USA TODAY that footage of the incident appears to indicate the helicopter’s rotor experienced a catastrophic failure.
Contributed: Christopher Cann
