New York, Aug 9 (Xinhua) Two bodies were found after the midair crash between a tourist helicopter and a small aircraft over the Hudson River here Saturday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
“It’s fair to say that this has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission,” Bloomberg said.
He said there were nine people on board the aircraft. All of them are now feared dead.
Unconfirmed media reports said earlier that one survivor had been rescued, but the mayor said the rescue teams have so far found only the victims’ bodies at the scene.
One of the recovered bodies was floating free, while one was found in the wreckage. More bodies have been spotted in the debris, he noted. Search for other bodies are still underway.
The chopper took off from the 30th Street heliport off Manhattan’s west Midtown area with six people, including five Italian tourists. The small private plane was carrying three people, including a child, and was coming from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.
The planes collided midair around Saturday noon and fell into the Hudson River, which divides New York City from New Jersey.
Eyewitnesses said the blue-and-red fixed-wing aircraft, which was flying some 50 feet above the black helicopter, seemed to have lost its control before the collision.
Due to the impact of the collision, the chopper’s rotors snapped off, while the small plane lost a wing, they added.
