Bayonne, New Jersey: Sightseeing Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing at Port Jersey, Two Aboard Unhurt

A New York City sightseeing helicopter made an emergency landing on a road at a New Jersey cargo port on Tuesday morning after the pilot reported possible engine trouble. Two people were aboard, and no injuries were reported.

The Bell 206L-4, operated by FlyNYON, came down at the Port Jersey Marine Terminal in Bayonne, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, at around 8:55 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the helicopter landed several minutes after the mayday call, just outside the container terminal.

The mayday call

The helicopter took off from Kearny, New Jersey, and was over the water headed in the direction of Brooklyn when the pilot reported a problem, CNN reported. In air traffic control audio, the pilot called, "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. We have low RPMs, we need to land outside the airport," and then said, "We have an engine out" and that they were going to land at the Bayonne piers.

Video from the scene showed the helicopter sitting on a road just beyond cargo shipping containers. Part of its tail sat on the road about 30 feet, or 9 meters, from the aircraft, according to the Associated Press. CNN reported the tail was ripped off and hanging from a nearby fence, and the New York Post reported the main cabin appeared intact, with pieces of debris scattered around the aircraft. The helicopter was manufactured in 1999, according to FAA records cited by the Associated Press.

No injuries on a maintenance flight

Both people aboard were conducting a maintenance flight, according to the air traffic control audio cited by CNN, and both were OK, according to the radio calls. Authorities told the New York Post there was no fire. Messages seeking comment were left for FlyNYON, the Associated Press reported, and CNN said the company did not immediately respond to its request for comment.

Sightseeing flights were not being carried on this flight. The aircraft was on a maintenance trip when the pilot reported low rotor speed and then a loss of engine power, and the pilot put the helicopter down on the terminal road instead of trying to reach an airport.

Investigation follows a new safety audit

The FAA said it will investigate the emergency landing. The New York Post reported the FAA is coordinating with the National Transportation Safety Board on the inquiry. No cause for the reported engine trouble has been announced.

The landing comes one week after the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General announced an audit of sightseeing helicopter regulations. The office cited longstanding concerns about industry safety and whether current rules provide adequate safeguards. Assistant Inspector General Marshall Jackson said there have been at least 58 helicopter crashes involving tourist helicopters in the United States since 2008, including 11 that were fatal.

Last year, a Bell 206L-4 sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River, killing all six people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board said the remains of several geese were found on that helicopter, suggesting it may have struck several birds before the crash, the Associated Press reported.