NTSB dispatched to plane-copter collision scene

(NECN/ABC: Washington, D.C.) – The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to New York City to investigate the fatal plane crash that killed nine Saturday afternoon. A sight seeing helicopter and a small plane collided over the Hudson River around noon, killing all of the passengers. The cause of the accident is not yet known. “We were notified about an accident about noon today that occurred up in New York,” NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman said. “It was a mid-air collision. I’d like to first extend my condolences to all of those who lost loved ones in this accident and send out our concerns for the search and rescue operation that’s going on. And we are hopeful that if there are folks found that they that they are in good shape.” Hersman said that her team would be supervising the search and rescue operations. “We’ve assembled a team of seven investigators, plus two family disaster transportation desk disaster assistance personnel to go up to New York City and look at the collision that occurred in the Hudson, over the Hudson this afternoon,” Hersman said. “We already have some investigators on scene in the local area. The investigator in charge will be from our Eastern region up in the New York- New Jersey area.” Material courtesy of ABC News.