Nine die as plane and helicopter collide over New York City
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nine people died when a sightseeing helicopter and a small aeroplane collided over New York's Hudson River yesterday, killing all on board.
In the helicopter were five Italian tourists and the pilot. The plane was carrying three people, said New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg.
"This has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission," he said, after the first two bodies had been recovered, adding that the crash had been "not survivable". An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board was under way, he said.
Thousands of tourists saw the accident, many describing how the low-flying plane's wing and the helicopter's rotor blades sheared away on impact, scattering debris across the river and sending people on the New Jersey shoreline at Hoboken running for cover. Most of the wreckage falling over the water sank quickly.
The crash happened just after noon local time in excellent weather conditions, in an area that becomes busy with air traffic on clear days, as tourists take sightseeing flights. The plane, a Piper PA-32, had left Teterboro airport in New Jersey heading for Ocean City, New Jersey.
The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350, was owned by Liberty Tours, which runs excursions around the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan. It had just taken off from a heliport on Manhattan's West Side.
The crash happened just south of the stretch of the Hudson in which a US Airways plane that hit a flock of birds crash-landed in January. All 155 people aboard survived.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments