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Hudson River Air Collision: More Bodies Found, Relatives React

by Yuliya Talmazan | August 9, 2009 at 02:38 pm

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More updates are surfacing about the tragic mid-air collision between a tour helicopter and a small plane over the Hudson River yesterday. All nine people aboard the two vehicles are presumed to be dead. Rescue crews are still looking for the remaining bodies. Three bodies were recovered on Saturday, two more were found on Sunday morning, and two more later in the afternoon. Rescuers are recovering bodies that are not intact. Meanwhile, the cause of the incident remains unknown.

The names of the victims released so far:

Small Plane:

Plane pilot Steven Altman
Pilot's brother Daniel Altman
Pilot's nephew Douglas Altman

Tour Helicopter:

Tourists from Bologna, Italy--
Fabio Gallazzi
Tiziana Pedrone
Giacomo Gallazzi
Michele Norelli
Filippo Norelli

Helicopter pilot--

Jeremy Clark

Police are on the lookout for the videos and photos of the crash, given the number of eyewitnesses that have been in the area.

Relatives react

Reached at home, the pilot’s wife, Pamala, said her husband was licensed and had been scheduled to fly his plane on Saturday from Teterboro Airport in northern New Jersey to Ocean City, on the Jersey Shore.

Maurizio Antonini, a deputy consul in the Italian Consulate in New York, spoke outside the midtown hotel where the victims had been staying on Sunday morning, and said the surviving family members would have no comment.

The helicopter company, Liberty Helicopters, released the name of the pilot in the crash: Jeremy Clarke, of Lanoka Harbor, N.J. The NTSB said the pilot, who was born in 1976 and came to work for Liberty last year, had about 2,700 hours of flight time.

"I've flown with him, right after he had got his license," said his former mother-in-law, Betty Mallory. "He was a very responsible, very safe pilot. I wouldn't have had any hesitation flying with him."

New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg reacts

"Sadly, it appears to us at this point that this was probably not survivable," said a somber Mayor Bloomberg. "This is not going to have a happy ending."

The NTSB was conducting an investigation into the deadly crash, and Bloomberg said it was too early to determine who was to blame.

Memories of the US Airways Flight 1549 landing

Yesterday’s horrific incident brings back the memories of the Hudson River landing of Flight 1549 in January of this year. A plane carrying 155 passengers on board experienced multiple bird strikes, causing both of its engines to shut down. The plane’s captain Chesley Sullenberger managed to glide the plane along the Hudson River, landing it safely. All passengers and crew made it out live. Captain Sullenberger was hailed hero for his heroic self-control and pilot skills.

Yesterday and today, NowPublic delivered real-time, eyewitness coverage of the events unfolding in New York thanks to the efforts of one of our members Pythiian1. For eyewitness coverage of the collision, see Pythiian1's report here.

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Pythiian1

at 15:28 on August 9th, 2009

Thanks so much Yul.source for the props and follow up on the tragic mid-air collision over the Hudson yesterday. The incident remains big news in the city.