Company Arranged 'Doors-Open' Flights Such As The One That Went Down In The East River March 11

Pilots flying for FlyNYON, a helicopter tour company arranging sightseeing flights in New York City and elsewhere around the country, had reportedly warned management about the safety harnesses used in "doors-open" flights for months prior to a March 11 accident that fatally injured five passengers aboard a helicopter that went down in the East River.

Fox News reports that, according to a lengthy article published in the New York Times, pilots had repeated requested safety gear better suited to the flights. One reportedly sent an email to management stating that the company was "setting ourselves up for failure" by using harnesses that sometime fit poorly.

That same pilot reportedly recommended putting different tools on board the aircraft that would make it easier for passengers to free themselves from the harnesses in the event of an emergency just four days before the fatal accident.

But FlyNYON management insisted that the harnesses were safe, according to internal documents obtained by the Times. In a statement to the paper, FlyNYON CEO Patrick Day dismissed the idea that the pilots' concerns were ignored and that the company "failed to respond to safety concerns.”

Internal emails showed that pilots raised concerns that harnesses were too big to properly secure smaller passengers, and that FlyNYON staff had been instructed to use zip ties to make the harnesses fit better.

The FAA has since banned such "doors-open" flights using such restraints, which is aimed directly at FlyNYON, according to The Times.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report,  Original Report