Air Collision Over Hudson River

The Coast Guard says a plane and helicopter have collided and plunged into the Hudson River.

NEW YORK — A small plane collided with a tour helicopter carrying about a half-dozen people over the Hudson River on Saturday, sending debris into the river and onto the Hoboken, N.J., waterfront.

The accident happened just after noon between Manhattan and Hoboken. The Coast Guard said one person had been rescued and New York City Fire Department officials on the scene said it appeared there were fatalities.

The plane, a Piper PA-32, took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, and the helicopter was a Eurocopter AS 350 owned by Liberty Tours, a sightseeing and charter company, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. Officials don't know how many people were aboard the plane, but FAA spokesman Jim Peters said there may have been five passengers and one crew member aboard the helicopter.

Emergency crews were on both sides of the river and police divers were going into the water.

People who saw the crash and its aftermath described the two aircraft colliding not far from the Hoboken shoreline, and said the impact sheared off the plane's wing.

"There was a loud pop, almost like a car backfire," said Buzz Nahas, who saw the crash from Hoboken. "The helicopter dropped like a rock."

Katie Tanski, of Hoboken, heard the noise of the collision, looked up and saw chaos in the air.

"We saw the helicopter propellers fly all over," she said. Some pieces of the wreckage fell on land, sending Tanski and others scurrying for cover.

I just saw this on Yahoo

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!Man that sucks!!!!!


FC

yup very sad its all over the news ........
still a lot of people missing what a horrible thing to be having such a nice site seeing tour and in a blink of an eye this tragic event...

thoughts and prayers for all involved....

NEW YORK — An FAA spokesman says there were three people aboard an airplane that collided with a tour helicopter over the Hudson River near Hoboken, N.J.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters says the plane was headed for Ocean City, N.J. The helicopter had just taken off from a heliport on Manhattan's West Side.

Peters says it is believed there were five passengers and one crew member aboard the helicopter.

The accident happened just after noon between Manhattan and Hoboken. The Coast Guard said one person had been rescued and New York City fire department officials on the scene said it appeared there were fatalities.

Thoughts and prayers to all involved!!!!!!



FC