NEW YORK A sightseeing helicopter carrying five Italian tourists collided with a small plane above the Hudson River on Saturday, sending debris into the water and forcing people on New Jersey's waterfront to scamper for cover. Authorities believe all nine people aboard the two aircraft were killed. The accident, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg called "not survivable," happened just after noon and was seen by hundreds and maybe even thousands of people out enjoying a crystal clear summer day. The two aircraft went down just south of the stretch of river where a US Airways jet landed safely seven months ago. But this time, there was no miracle. "This is not going to have a happy ending," Bloomberg said. He said, hours after the accident, that he thought it fair to say "this has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission." Two bodies were recovered in the water, one floating free and one in the wreckage, and other bodies were spotted in the debris, the mayor said. The crash victims included five Italian tourists and a pilot on the helicopter and the three people on the plane, including a child, Bloomberg said. Witnesses described the same scene: a low-flying plane smashing into the helicopter, and then wreckage scattering. The plane's wing was severed by the impact. The plane, a Piper PA-32, was registered to LCA Partnership in Fort Washington, Pa., and had just taken off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey for Ocean City, N.J., authorities said. The helicopter was a Eurocopter AS 350 owned by Liberty Tours, a sightseeing and charter company. It was struck by the plane shortly after lifting off from a heliport on Manhattan's West side. At least some people saw the crash developing. Another Liberty Tours helicopter pilot on the ground at the heliport saw the plane approaching the helicopter and tried to radio an alert to the pilots, New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. The warning either wasn't heard, or didn't happen in time.
NYC: Mid-Air collision over Hudson River - 08-08-09 - YouTube |
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