Before fatal Hudson River helicopter crash, two mid-air breakdowns and unpaid bills
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Police divers collecting debris near where a helicopter crashed in the Hudson River, on April 11.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK - As federal investigators began the long job of examining what caused a sightseeing helicopter to crash into the Hudson River
Public records and interviews with pilots and other members of the helicopter industry showed that the company, which has operated as New York Helicopter Charter, had long been seen as an also-ran in the competitive business of taking tourists for aerial views of landmarks in and around New York City.
Its fleet was smaller and older than those of the biggest operators in the metropolitan area, where a single helicopter can earn up to US$5,000 (S$6,500) an hour.
Its owner and chief executive officer, Mr Michael Roth, had developed a reputation for being slow to pay and quick to sue. After a sightseeing flight in 2013 ended in an emergency landing in the Hudson, Mr Roth sued a company that had performed maintenance on its aircraft, saying it was to blame for the near disaster.
He accused the operator of one heliport in Manhattan of “ripping us off” and later sued the operator of another heliport to regain access there after being accused of failing to make good on past debts. He has also sued lenders over loan agreements.
“He’s had disputes with everybody,” said Mr John Kjekstad, a longtime sightseeing tour operator who said he has known Mr Roth for 40 years. “That’s him.”
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out tourism in New York, Mr Roth’s company had fallen into tough financial straits. His company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and had one of its helicopters repossessed in late 2024, just eight months into its lease.
Court records show that Mr Roth reconstituted the business as New York Helicopter Tours after it failed under its former name.
Reached by phone on April 11, Mr Roth said: “I can’t talk to you. Have a nice day.” NYTIMES
