TRENTON, N.J. – The governor of New Jersey is urging federal authorities to limit nonessential helicopter flights in the state. This comes after a tragic incident in April where a sightseeing helicopter from New York City disintegrated midair, resulting in six fatalities.
In a letter dated August 18, Governor Phil Murphy called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use their powers to “prohibit or significantly reduce” the number of helicopters operating in New Jersey.
The governor highlighted that the ill-fated helicopter from the April 10 accident was stationed at a heliport in Kearny, New Jersey, and crashed into the Hudson River just 75 feet away from the Jersey City coast.
He expressed concerns that future accidents could be even more catastrophic if they occurred on land, urging the FAA to implement stricter regulations similar to those enforced on tourist helicopter flights above Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in 2023.
“We must not wait for such a tragedy to occur being taking decisive action,” Murphy wrote.
Governor Murphy proposed that helicopters departing from Kearny could fly over Newark Bay instead of over densely populated areas like Jersey City and Hoboken. This change could lessen the impact on residential zones and improve safety by having helicopters predominantly fly over water.
He also asked the FAA to consider limiting the operating hours for non-essential flights from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The FAA, in a statement Thursday, said it would reach out directly to Murphy.
Moreover, the agency clarified that helicopters don’t have to adhere to the same minimum altitude regulations as airplanes, which must maintain a height of at least 1,000 feet above the nearest obstacle in crowded areas. However, federal rules require that helicopters must not endanger people or property on the ground during their flights.
Industry trade groups didn’t immediately comment.
The aircraft operated by New York Helicopter had been giving a typical tour of the Manhattan skyline when it broke apart about 18 minutes into the flight.
The crash killed the helicopter pilot and a prominent family from Barcelona. It also revived concerns about the safety of the popular and costly aerial tours over New York City.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the doomed flight in May, but is still investigating what caused the helicopter to break apart.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
