Divers searched the Hudson River today for the final two bodies missing after the collision of a helicopter and small plane that killed nine people.
Five Italian tourists and the New Zealand-born pilot of the helicopter were killed on Saturday, along with the US.pilot of the plane, his brother and his nephew when the midday collision sent both aircraft plunging into the river.
Seven bodies have been retrieved. The search for victims and wreckage has been hampered by strong currents and poor visibility in the river separating New York and New Jersey.
The small plane had just taken off from the nearby Teterboro, New Jersey, airport when it collided with the helicopter, which had just taken off on what was to have been a 12-minute sightseeing flight around Manhattan.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the plane, a Piper Saratoga, appeared to hit the back of the helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350, which was operated by Liberty Helicopter, the largest sightseeing helicopter operator in the US Northeast.
"Pilots' first responsibility is to see and avoid," Mr Bloomberg told reporters today. "Sadly sometimes people make mistakes. I don't know in this case who made a mistake. That's for the (National Transportation Safety Board) to decide."
Witnesses' photographs showed one of the plane's wings came off after the collision, as did the helicopter's rotors. Chunks of debris fell on the New Jersey side of the river in Hoboken, narrowly missing motorists.
Reuters