Helicopter wreckage lifted from Hudson

(NECN: Hoboken, N.J.) – Wreckage of a helicopter that collided with a small plane and went down into the Hudson River was pulled from the river’s waters on Sunday. Police also used sonar to locate the submerged plane, saying that the fuselage was just north of the helicopter crash site in the water off Hoboken. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crane pulled up the twisted wreckage of the helicopter from 30 feet of water. Seven bodies have so far been pulled from the Hudson, but nine people died in the mid-air crash. Divers recovered a torso inside the fuselage of the helicopter wreckage on Sunday, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. Investigators also were searching for pictures and video of Saturday’s accident, which was seen by thousands out enjoying a beautiful summer day. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Debbie Hersman said a nearby helicopter pilot saw the plane approaching the in-flight helicopter and tried to alert his fellow pilot. He radioed the doomed helicopter and said, “You have a fixed-wing behind you,” but there was no response from the pilot, Hersman said. The pilot then saw the plane’s right wing clip the helicopter, and both aircraft split apart and fell into the river, she said. Material from The Associated Press used in this report.