Federal aviation regulators issued an emergency order Monday grounding the helicopter tour firm concerned in a lethal New York crash after studying it had fired its operations director minutes after he had agreed to droop flights through the investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated it suspected the firing was retaliation for a security resolution.
“The FAA is taking this action in part because after the company’s director of operations voluntarily shut down flights, he was fired,” performing Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated on X.
New York Helicopter Excursions’ sightseeing helicopter broke aside in midair and plunged into the Hudson River Thursday, killing 5 vacationers from Spain and the pilot.
Rocheleau stated the company additionally started a complete assessment of the corporate’s operations. The assessment is designed to find out whether or not an operator complies with rules and successfully manages security, and identifies hazards and dangers.
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his spouse, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three kids, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who acquired his business pilot’s license in 2023. The crash has renewed security considerations concerning the fashionable sightseeing flights.
The corporate’s director of operations, Jason Costello, agreed on Sunday to voluntarily halt flights whereas the crash was being investigated. However 16 minutes after Costello despatched an e mail to the FAA, the corporate’s chief govt officer despatched a separate e mail to the company saying he didn’t authorize the halt. The CEO, Michael Roth, additionally stated Costello was now not an worker, in accordance with the FAA order.
“The immediate firing of the Director of Operations raises serious safety concerns because it appears Mr. Roth retaliated against Mr. Costello for making the safety decision to cease operations during the investigation,” learn the doc.
The FAA in its order stated the corporate now lacks a required director of operations.
An e mail in search of remark was despatched to Roth.
Additionally Monday, the Nationwide Transportation Security Board stated divers discovered key parts of the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter as they wrapped up restoration efforts within the river. New York Metropolis police divers working with the U. S. Military Corps of Engineers and Jersey Metropolis’s Workplace of Emergency Administration recovered and secured the principle rotor system and the tail rotor system, that are anticipated to offer clues concerning the crash.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
