LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) — Friday marks one year since a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five from Spain.
The tragedy has sparked calls for increased safety measures for sightseeing flights.
It comes after the New York Helicopter Tours chartered chopper broke apart in the air and crashed into the Hudson River near Lower Manhattan on April 10, 2025.
The crash killed pilot Sean Johnson as well as AgustÃn Escobar Cañadas, Mercè Camprubà Montal, and their three children.
The family of the victims from Spain made an emotional visit to the Hudson River on Thursday where they honored their loved ones.
But they wanted the visit to also be about turning their grief into action.
They stood side by side with local elected officials to push for Congress to pass the Helicopter Safety Parity Act.
“We want to avoid more people suffering what we suffered,” said family member Joan Camprubà Montal. “And aviation safety for us should not be a choice, it should be a responsibility. Our prayer is that no family will suffer this again.”
Lawmakers say the legislation aims to close longstanding regulatory loopholes and require sightseeing helicopter operators to meet the same rigorous safety standards as commercial airlines.
“It would subject the helicopters to much more rigorous inspection, the same standards as commercial aircraft basically,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler. “That would mean inspections more often and more thoroughly.”
Elected officials say they are still waiting on the official findings from the NTSB on what caused the crash.
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