FAA bans most small planes from NY flight path
Sat 14 Oct 2006 0:05:35 BST
WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Friday banned virtually all small planes from a popular New York flight path over safety and security concerns prompted by this week's crash of a plane that hit a Manhattan high rise.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would prohibit general aviation aircraft from the low-altitude East River corridor in most cases, effective immediately. It will remain in place indefinitely.
The flight lane that abuts air space at LaGuardia airport is predominantly used by private fliers and sight-seeing operations, as well as traffic helicopters.
Some New York politicians were alarmed after Wednesday's crash that planes could still get close enough to New York's skyscrapers and other landmarks five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijack attacks destroyed the World Trade Center towers.
A single-engine plane owned by New York Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle slammed into a residential tower at roughly 500 feet during a sight-seeing flight that had followed the East River corridor.
Investigators have not determined who was flying the plane or why it crashed during a turn, but Lidle and a flight instructor were killed.
Lidle told air traffic controllers before he left Teterboro airport in New Jersey he was heading to the East River flight path in his Cirrus SR20, which did not require him to file a flight plan or maintain radio contact with FAA controllers.
The FAA said seaplanes will still be allowed to use the East River flight lanes as will traffic helicopters. Those planes that are allowed to fly along the East River must maintain contact with air traffic control, the FAA said.
Aviation experts said the East River corridor, unlike a similar flight path along the Hudson River, is narrow and can be challenging for novice fliers. The FAA restriction does not apply to the Hudson River corridor.
