After relatives of the family from Spain laid flowers in the Hudson to honor them over the weekend, late Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration posted to social media that New York Helicopter Tours is shutting down.

The FAA is now investigating the company involved in Thursday’s crash that killed all six onboard, including three children and the pilot, a Navy veteran.

Now, a growing chorus of calls for more regulations for these types of flights.

“The FAA has to do more,” Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said at a press conference Sunday. “They must get serious about a culture of safety across the helicopter tour industry.”

On Friday, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the board sounded the alarm in a 2021 report, revealing that “members of the public who pay to participate in Part 91 revenue passenger-carrying activities are likely unaware that these operations have less stringent requirements than other commercial aviation operations.”

The report is calling on the FAA to bolster regulations for sightseeing flights. However, no shortage of tourists willing to fly on Monday.

“Crashes with cars every day as well,” Belgian tourist Jaf Aaisbou said. “So, OK, unfortunately, there was a helicopter crash here. But I’m not worried about it.”

“I think that kind of accident is unusual,” Letitia Moresse, visiting from France who took a helicopter ride, said. “I think that kind of accident is special, so I think that’s why we decided to go.”

The lesser regulations mean fewer inspections, though the Bell 206 L-4 in this crash was last inspected March 1. John Goglia, a former National Transportation Safety Board member and adjunct professor at Vaughn College, says the office overseeing Part 91 inspections is understaffed.

“They may go two or three months without seeing an inspector,” Goglia said.

He also says that could lead to problems.

In 2013, the New York Helicopter was investigated after a tour lost power. In 2015, a previously damaged part installed on a chopper was found to have caused a crash. The NTSB continues to investigate this crash.

While the main compartment and engine were quickly recovered, reports say NYPD divers Monday finally recovered the rotor from the murky waters of the Hudson, which could be seen separating from the chopper. 

“There’s a couple of substantial bearings in there that hold that tower shaft and the rotor in place if the gearbox failed and those pulled out. Those pieces will be critical in determining what happened,” Goglia said.

The search continues for other parts critical to the investigation. Goglia says when he was on the NTSB over 20 years ago, they pushed for more regulations for these types of flights. He’s hoping that changes this time.