New York City Helicopter Crash Update: Pilot Shouldn't Have Been Flying

New information raises serious questions about the flight and its pilot’s qualifications.

Plane & Pilot

Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 11:27 AM ET

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Members of the FDNY at the scene of a helicopter crash in New York City on Monday, June 10. Photo courtesy of the FDNY

Key Takeaways:

Investigators are focusing on the pilot's lack of qualifications, as he was reportedly not qualified for the flight and lacked an instrument rating, which was required for the apparent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
The fatal helicopter crash likely occurred within a Presidential TFR (no-fly zone) near Trump Tower and involved illegal flight at low altitude over a populated area in IMC.
During the repositioning flight, the pilot was not in contact with air traffic control (ATC), adding to the list of potential violations.

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FDNY on the scene of a helicopter crash — Members of the FDNY at the scene of a helicopter crash in New York City on Monday, June 10. Photo courtesy of the FDNY

Investigators of the fatal New York City helicopter crash apparently are rapidly moving to a new theory of the crash. The pilot of the Agusta AE109E, Tim McCormack, who died in the crash atop a Midtown building, wasn’t qualified for the flight and that the mission was likely inside a Presidential TFR (no-fly zone) in Midtown Manhattan. The crash took place close to the Trump Tower, which has a longstanding flight restriction associated with it.

The FAA is suggesting to reporters that the flight might have been conducted in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with low clouds and a rainstorm. Flying on instruments is not legal at the low altitude and over the heavily populated area the helicopter was flying over. Moreover, the FAA is now saying that the pilot was not in contact with ATC on the flight, which was a repositioning flight to New Jersey after the pilot dropped off a passenger at an East River heliport and while he was traversing Manhattan.

The story got even more alarming when the FAA revealed that McCormack was not instrument rated, something that is legally required for pilots flying in IMC.

The NTSB and FAA are continuing to investigate the accident.