In Hudson River Corridor, Another Air Accident Is Waiting to Happen

Eastchester, New York -- The Hudson River has been at the center of a number of sensational news stories during the last several years and very few are related to its stature as a great and historical waterway.

The latest was the horrific collision of a tourist helicopter and a small private plane this month. Several months ago, hero US Airways pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III safely ditched in the Hudson River saving the lives of more than 150 people on board. Of course, on September 11, 2001, admittedly a while ago but still relentlessly fresh in our minds, terrorist pilots flew a hijacked jet down the length of the river to their ultimate destination, the World Trade Center.

Today, federal safety experts indicated that the August 8 collision has compelled the government to reconsider the future of the busy air corridor between Manhattan and New Jersey. One option, they announce, is the possibility of having planes and helicopters fly at different altitudes over the busy waterway.

That's a good first step...but where is the urgency?

The Associated Press reports that there have been a series of near misses over the Hudson River through the years, but the latest accident was the first midair collision between two pilots near the city's waterfront since 1983, when a seaplane coming in for a landing near Wall Street collided with a police helicopter over Brooklyn.

Other accounts include a near miss between a prop plane and a helicopter near the Statue of Liberty in 2006, a close encounter between a Cessna and an air taxi in 1998, and multiple near misses on a 1996 private plane trip south on the Hudson.

That doesn't seem like many, but these are only the reported episodes. Have these officials ever spent even a few minutes on the west side of Manhattan during any day or evening? It is nothing short of amazing there haven't been more catastrophic incidents. Consider the traffic...corporate helicopters, traffic helicopters, sightseeing helicopters, a myriad of other corporate aircraft and private planes...all entrusted with this "see and avoid" safety approach, which amounts to an automobile driver looking all directions before making a left.

"It's incredibly overcrowded," says Scott Vallach, my nephew and a Spirit Airlines pilot who has had experience navigating the corridor. "On a good weather day, there simply isn't enough space to safely accommodate all those aircraft. The FAA needs to regulate the number of aircraft in the corridor, and increase the pilot certification required to operate in that airspace. There are close calls everyday, and they will continue until there is a change made to the regulations."

It is patently absurd there haven't been more measures taken before now, and, as always, it takes loss of life to motivate change even when the need is staring at you with unblinking menace. Memo to the FAA: Don't wait for another accident...do something now!