Sightseeing Helicopter Lands at Bayonne Terminal

A NYC sightseeing helicopter made an emergency landing at Port Jersey Marine Terminal with two people aboard and no injuries reported.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Air Travel

Sightseeing Helicopter Lands at Bayonne Terminal

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A Bell 206L-4 sightseeing helicopter operated by FlyNYON made an emergency landing at the Port Jersey Marine Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey, around 8:55 a.m. on November 10, 2026. The two people aboard were not injured, and the pilot reported possible engine trouble while on a maintenance flight.

Why it matters

The landing comes a year after a Bell 206L-4 sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing all six people aboard. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General has announced an audit of sightseeing helicopter regulations.

The Bell 206L-4 helicopter, built in 1999, carried two people and came to rest with part of its tail about 30 feet from the aircraft. Since 2008, there have been 58 tourist helicopter crashes in the U.S., 11 of them fatal.

The players

FlyNYON

FlyNYON is a New York City sightseeing helicopter operator whose aircraft was involved in the Bayonne emergency landing.

U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General

The Office of Inspector General is the independent watchdog arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation, which announced the audit of sightseeing helicopter regulations.

The details

The pilot transmitted a mayday call and said the crew needed to land outside the airport before the helicopter set down on a road at the Port Jersey Marine Terminal, just outside the container terminal. The aircraft was on a maintenance flight when the pilot reported possible engine trouble.

Last year: A Bell 206L-4 sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing six people.
Last week: The DOT Office of Inspector General announced an audit of sightseeing helicopter regulations.
November 10, 2026, around 8:55 a.m.: The helicopter made its emergency landing in Bayonne.

Roadmap

The emergency landing follows last year's fatal Hudson River crash of a Bell 206L-4 sightseeing helicopter, which killed six people. Since 2008, tourist helicopter crashes in the U.S. have recurred, and federal regulators are now auditing how sightseeing flights are overseen.

Travelers booking sightseeing helicopter tours in the New York area should review the operator's safety record and the outcome of the federal audit. The audit may affect how such flights are regulated.

The takeaway

Travelers considering helicopter sightseeing should weigh operator safety records, since this emergency landing followed a fatal crash involving the same aircraft model.