A sightseeing helicopter crashed into the East River near the the South Street Seaport helipad this afternoon, injuring all seven people aboard. The passengers were able to be rescued quickly because the police had harbor units conducting a drill, according to Newsday, and the passengers stood on the chopper's inflated pontoons for rescue. The FAA says the helicopter made a hard landing, but the cause of the helicopter failure is unclear. Gothamist is glad that the passengers and pilot seem to be okay, and these tourists are not only lucky they are safe, they have experienced something many New Yorkers have never: The waters of the East River. Update: WNBC reports that one person is in a coma.
The NY Times referenced that fatal sightseeing plane crash in Coney Island last month, and a WNBC's Chopper 4 crashed onto a Brooklyn rooftop when it was trying to cover a Brooklyn fire last year. And Jason Kottke took pictures of a helicopter tour of Manhattan.
Photograph from Getty
