NEW YORK—Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and other elected officials, demanded that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate stricter safety measures for aircraft flying in the Hudson River Corridor on Monday. The conference comes two days after nine people were killed in the midair collision of a helicopter and small plane.

“It is unconscionable that the FAA permits unregulated flights in a crowded airspace in a major metropolitan area,” said Nadler, who represents the west side of Manhattan.

Nadler wants the FAA to require that all aircraft be equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS), a type of radio transponder.

Currently the Hudson River Corridor is a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) airspace, so pilots rely on their vision to navigate. TCAS transponders alert pilots when other TCAS-equipped aircraft are too close. TCAS, cannot detect other crafts which do not also have TCAS, according to an FAA publication.

“It is ridiculous that private planes and helicopters flying through a crowded area are dependent, while in flight, on visually sighting other aircraft and communicating with them,” said Nadler in the release.

TCAS are also not currently required in planes with less than 30 passengers according to the FAA Web site. Neither vehicle in Saturday’s crash was equipped with a TCAS.

The FAA had not responded as of press time.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney referred to this as “see and avoid” rules, which she called inappropriate and dangerous at the press conference.

State Senator Tom Duane also spoke at the conference, he said it’s clear that helicopter flights from the West 30th Street Heliport “need to end now.” He called for a moratorium on all tourist flights until proper safety devices can be installed.

According to Duane, a lawsuit by The Friends of Hudson Park, a nonprofit advocacy group for Hudson River Park, was already slated to end all helicopter tours from the port by April 2010.

Tourist flights would continue from New Jersey and other locations but not from Manhattan.

Nadler also said that he wants the FAA to require that all flights file flight plans and that the agency study a complete ban on tourist flights.

Nadler mentioned at the conference that small aircraft report 50 percent more accidents than large commercial aircraft.

Nadler is a senior member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee responsible for regulating emergency situations and transportation including train, road and civil aviation, according to the White House Website.

Nadler was also joined in his demand by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Assembly member Richard N. Gottfried, and Councilmember Gale A. Brewer.

Manhattan Congressman Wants Stricter Small Aircraft Laws