NTSB: Helicopter that crash landed in NYC did not have flight recorder

The NTSB says that a helicopter that crashed on the roof of a midtown Manhattan high-rise building Monday afternoon did not have a voice recorder or flight data recorder.

News 12 Staff

Jun 11, 2019, 8:21 PM

Updated 1,945 days ago

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The National Transportation Safety Board says that a helicopter that crashed on the roof of a midtown Manhattan high-rise building Monday afternoon did not have a voice recorder or flight data recorder.
NTSB investigator Doug Brazy says that these pieces of equipment are not required to be on a helicopter.
“However, there is instrumentation and helicopter systems that do have memory in them and have the ability to record. We’re searching for those on the rooftop right now,” Brazy says.
Brazy says that it is still too early to talk about what caused the crash that killed pilot Tim McCormack. McCormack was on his way back to Linden Airport when he was forced to make an emergency landing on the 54-story building.
The helicopter broke into pieces when it crashed. The crash caused a fire on the roof of the building. McCormack was the only one aboard the helicopter. No one inside the building was hurt.
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NTSB officials say that McCormack was not certified to fly in limited visibility conditions. The pilot was only certified to fly under regulations known as visual flight rules, which require generally good weather and clear conditions. The weather in Manhattan Monday afternoon was rainy and foggy. He had 15 years of experience flying helicopters and single-engine airplanes and was also certified as a flight instructor.
A New York congresswoman is calling for the FAA to ban “non-essential” helicopter flights over Manhattan in the wake of the crash.

Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney vowed to hold the agency accountable for what happened.
“I truly deeply believe that nonessential flight should be banned from New York City. It is just too densely populated. It is too dangerous and there is absolutely no safe place to land. If you have a problem it is not safe to crash in the water. It's not safe to land in the streets or on the rooftops,” she says.
Maloney said she would also consider pursuing legislation if necessary. She says that she does not believe that executive travel or tourist trips would qualify as essential travel. Maloney introduced legislation last March to ban helicopter tourism.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.