Tour Helicopter Crashes Into Hudson River
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A helicopter on a sightseeing tour of Manhattan made an emergency landing in the Hudson River Saturday afternoon, leaving all eight people aboard drenched but not seriously harmed, authorities said.
The seven passengers and a pilot were pulled from the waters between Manhattan and the New Jersey shore by two Good Samaritan vessels, authorities said.
No one was injured and there was little damage to the aircraft, which was owned by Liberty Helicopters, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker. The pilot deployed the craft’s yellow emergency floats and made a controlled landing, authorities said. It was unclear why the helicopter had to land in the river.
Among the passengers to emerge unscathed was New York Fire Department emergency medical technician Jose Mejia, 21, who helped his girlfriend and others exit the aircraft. All eight people aboard donned life jackets and were in the water for less than five minutes before rescuers arrived, Fire Department spokesman Craig Mosia said.
Rescuers passed the eight to U.S. Coast Guard officials, who returned them to shore for evaluation by medical personnel, Mr. Mosia said. The Coast Guard said there were no serious injuries.
The FAA planned to investigate the crash, which was being classified as an incident rather than an accident, Mr. Baker said.
Liberty Helicopters, which runs sightseeing excursions around the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan, said it had no comment. For most tours, Liberty passengers pay between $30 and $186 per person for rides lasting from two to 17 minutes. Officials said the craft had not been privately contracted.
Mr. Baker said the helicopter, a Eurocopter EC-135, took off from the VIP Heliport on West 30th Street at about 4:50 p.m.
Witnesses reported seeing a black helicopter go straight down into the water about 50 yards north of the Lincoln Tunnel.
Red rescue rafts motored through the water from Manhattan to reach the scene and some pleasure boats in the area made U-turns and headed down river to avoid the area.
By evening, the helicopter — still afloat on its pontoons — was secured to a New Jersey pier, the Coast Guard said.
