A sightseeing helicopter carrying two people made an emergency landing at the Port Jersey Marine Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey, on Tuesday morning, November 10, after the pilot reported possible engine trouble and issued a mayday call. The Bell 206 aircraft, operated by FlyNYON, touched down on a roadway at approximately 8:55 a.m., just outside the Port Liberty Container Terminal, according to authorities. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot reporting low engine RPM before declaring that the engine was out and requesting permission to land outside an airport. Despite the emergency, both occupants escaped without injuries, and officials reported no fire at the scene. Images and video showed the helicopter’s main cabin largely intact, but its tail section had broken away, with the separated tail rotor and debris scattered nearby. Port Authority police, Bayonne police and other emergency personnel responded as authorities secured the area.

The aircraft was identified as a Bell 206L-4, and initial reports indicated that it was conducting a maintenance flight rather than carrying sightseeing passengers on a regular tour. The helicopter had reportedly departed from Kearny, New Jersey, and was traveling toward Brooklyn when the pilot encountered the problem. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified and are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing. Officials have not yet established the precise cause of the reported engine trouble or explained why the aircraft’s tail section separated during the landing. The incident comes amid renewed scrutiny of sightseeing helicopter safety following a fatal 2025 crash involving another Bell 206L-4 in the Hudson River, which killed all six people aboard. While Tuesday’s landing ended without injuries, investigators will now work to determine what caused the emergency and whether any mechanical failure contributed to the damage.