04/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/10/2026 13:17
JERSEY CITY, NJ - Congressman Rob Menendez today released the following statement in remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the deadly Hudson River helicopter crash that took the lives of six people on April 10, 2025:
"Last year's helicopter air tour crash took the lives of six people, including three children, while?narrowly avoiding even further devastation on the Jersey City waterfront.
"Since coming to ?Congress, I have fought to stop these dangerous, nonessential helicopter flights through bipartisan and bistate legislative efforts. And over the last year, we have doubled down by working to close safety loopholes and end these dangerous flights. The work continues and I will not relent until our communities are safe."
Congressman Menendez has long been a leader on helicopter safety issues, leading several bills to combat this issue, including the Improving Helicopter Safety Act, Communities Before Air Tourism Act, and the Protecting Communities from Helicopter Noise Act. More recently, he co-led the Helicopter Safety and Parity Act, which would elevate helicopters to the highest level of aviation safety standards. In addition, he led the New Jersey and New York delegation in an effort to include the region in upcoming helicopter safety legislation. He has worked with local and county officials on solutions for helicopter safety and noise pollution.
He has also led several efforts to pressure the Federal Aviation Administration to take action on helicopter safety. Congressman Menendez currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and sits on the Subcommittee on the Environment, Subcommittee on Energy, and the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.