A low flying aircraft fatally crashed with a helicopter over the Hudson River in New York this week sparking new dialogue over the issue of low flying aircraft in busy airspace.

Helicopter sightseeing tours are common in New York, but the collision has renewed speculation about safety. Small low flying aircrafts are not on any radar system and do not report to a control tower, they have to go entirely by site, which can often be dangerous.

The crash this week did not deter tourists from sightseeing helicopters at all. Within an hour of the crash heli-tour sales representatives were out giving out pamphlets advertising rides. Tours for the rest of the day remained busy, yet behind the scenes new discussion over safety had erupted.

One New York city councilwoman is already moving to ban the helicopter sightseeing tours, while others are pushing for additional guidance equipment to avoid such accidents from happening again in the future. Mayor Bloomberg came out against a ban on the rides. He stressed the importance of New York tourism and said the helicopter rides had become an integral part of the tourist infrastructure in New York. He was however open to discussing new safety measures being enforced.