JERSEY CITY COUNCILMEMBER JAMES SOLOMON SLAMS TOURISM HELICOPTER CEO MICHAEL ROTH AFTER TRAGIC HELICOPTER CRASH DISMISSED AS “SOMETIMES, MACHINES BREAK”

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Last night, a tourist helicopter carrying a family crashed into the Hudson River, leaving no survivors. In response, the CEO of the company chartering these flights, Michael Roth of New York Helicopter, diminished the senseless tragedy and his role in ensuring the safety of the passengers, pilots, and those on the ground, stating, “It’s a machine. Sometimes, machines break.”

Councilmember James Solomon, who represents the site of the accident on the Jersey City Municipal Council, issued the following statement responding to Roth’s comments:

”Yesterday’s helicopter crash was a horrific, traumatic experience for our region, and we are immensely grateful to our first responders for addressing the incident and keeping us safe. We mourn the loss of a family and the pilot — and I cannot emphasize enough how disgusting and dismissive New York Helicopter CEO Michael Roth’s response was. 

‘Machines break’ is a hell of a comment considering these people were on his machine. Tourist helicopters are the most accident-prone vehicles in commercial aviation, in part because safety isn’t emphasized and safety management systems just aren’t good enough. That means that folks are taking a chance on their own lives every time they board a tourist helicopter, whether or not they realize it — and this CEO was willing to  dismiss the deaths that occurred on his watch as ‘machines breaking.’ 

“There is legislation in Trenton that would ban tourist choppers from operating on the Hudson. I support that legislation. I demand its enactment and I demand real accountability from Roth and his company before another tragedy occurs.”