Helicopter pilot made mayday call moments before hard landing on pier in Bayonne

Helicopter pilot made mayday call moments before hard landing on pier in Bayonne Tuesday, November 10, 2026 11:32PM Chantee Lans has the details from Bayonne, New Jersey. AP Photo/Seth Wenig BAYONNE, New Jersey (WABC) -- A sightseeing helicopter made an emergency hard landing Tuesday morning at the Port Jersey Port Authority Marine Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey, after experiencing engine trouble, according to air traffic control communications. A mayday call captured on air traffic control radio documented the moments before the incident involving a FlyNYON helicopter. The aircraft, a 1999 Bell 206L, landed shortly before 9 a.m. According to the radio communications, the pilot reported, "our engine is out." An air traffic controller responded, "Do you see a spot to land can you point it out." The pilot then replied, "We're going to land at Bayonne piers." John Del Giorno reports from over the scene in NewsCopter 7. The helicopter landed safely. Two people were aboard, and no injuries were reported. Sources said the aircraft was on a maintenance flight when the crew was forced to make the emergency landing. Experts told Eyewitness News that a maintenance test flight is when something's fixed or altered on an aircraft, and they test to see if it's flying like it's supposed to. Images from the scene showed the helicopter with its tail section separated and damage to its rotor system. Jorge Mercado, a Bayonne resident who was fishing nearby, praised the pilot's actions. "To land it, it has to take some skills for people to survive," he said. Federal investigators have begun examining the incident. An online listing for the chopper from last year shows it had more than 7,000 hours of air time, and it was refurbished in 2017. As authorities from the FAA and NTSB investigate, the emergency landing has drawn attention because FlyNYON was previously involved in another major helicopter accident . A hard landing by a FlyNYON helicopter is renewing debate over tourist flight safety in the New York area. Investigators are now working to determine what caused the incident. Video from 2018 captured a crash landing in the East River involving a FlyNYON helicopter. In that case, the pilot escaped, but all five passengers aboard died. The NTSB found that was due to a passenger's harness "which caught on and activated the floor-mounted engine fuel shutoff lever." Mercado reflected on the outcome of Tuesday's incident. "I'm happy somebody survived instead of everybody perishing but God is good and God saved those people I guess," he said. Passenger arrested after claiming to have bomb on Newark-to-New Orleans flight Central Park rape suspect arrested while working in Miami, linked to 2 others 43 minutes ago Stanley Zabar, co-owner of iconic Upper West Side grocery store, dies at 94 FlyNYON, which the report said is based in Kearny, New Jersey, was contacted for comment regarding Tuesday's emergency landing. A response was not immediately available. The Hudson County executive has joined a coalition of elected leaders to try to stop tourist flights. This past April, local congressional leaders filed new legislation called the Helicopter Safety Parity Act of 2026. It would strengthen safety requirements and inspections. Congresswoman Nicole Mailiatokis, and others announced it on the one-year anniversary of the crash on the Hudson River. ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More New Jersey news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Download our connected TV app Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics BAYONNE NEW JERSEY HELICOPTER Watch Live ON NOW Man arrested after bomb threat on Newark-to-New Orleans flight Suspect in 3 Central Park rapes arrested working at Miami Burger King 43 minutes ago Stanley Zabar, co-owner of iconic NYC grocery store, dies at 94 Is there a nor'easter coming? | Live updates 2 hours ago Stacy Keach, star of stage and 'Mike Hammer' series, dies at 85 2 hours ago Grand jury indicts man on murder charge in Katie Suarez's killing Missing 11-month-old boy taken by father found buried alive: Sheriff 1 hour ago Brooklyn man beaten in wrongful NYPD arrest files lawsuit