Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing On Hudson County Waterfront: Officials

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A helicopter made an emergency landing near the Bayonne waterfront on Tuesday after experiencing mechanical trouble, officials said.

The pilot of the New York City-based tourist helicopter reportedly yelled "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" before landing at a shipping terminal in Bayonne, on the shoreline of Newark Bay.

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Bayonne firefighters rushed to the scene around 9 a.m., said Bayonne Fire Chief Frank Pawlowski on Tuesday.

The Bell 206L-4 helicopter was "resting upright in a roadway near the end of the [Port Jersey Marine] terminal," he said.

Part of the tail rotor had ripped due to a mechanical malfunction, which caused the pilot to have to land, he said.

The pilot and co-pilot were able to walk away. They were evaluated by emergency workers on the scene but had no injuries, the chief said.

The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and Port Authority Police Department will investigate, he said.

While there were no injuries in the incident, local officials, who have complained about low-flying and noisy tourist helicopters, spoke out again in favor of more restrictions.

"Today's emergency landing in Bayonne is yet another reminder of the danger non-essential helicopters pose to our communities," said Rep. Rob Menendez on Tuesday afternoon. "We are grateful that everyone involved is safe and thankful to the Port Authority for their swift lifesaving response."

He added, "No community should be exposed to this risk, especially for non-essential flights that serve no public purpose. These unnecessary flights over our densely populated neighborhoods put thousands of people in danger every day."

In April 2025, a family of five and a pilot were killed when a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Jersey City.

READ MORE: Hudson County Cities To Take Fight Against Helicopter Noise To Court