Fear Saved Helicopter Mom

Olympian Torres rode copter over Hudson 2 days before crash

(NEWSER) - Crews searching the Hudson River for the victims of Sunday's collision between a sightseeing helicopter and a small plane located an eighth body yesterday in the submerged plane but were unable to recover it, 1010 WINS radio reports. Rough water and silt impeded the efforts of divers, who suspended work late Monday and planned to resume searching for the ninth and last body Tuesday. More»

(NEWSER) - The National Transportation Board's view of the events that caused last weekend's crash over the Hudson River doesn't jibe with the FAA's, the Wall Street Journal reports. The NTSB chronology released yesterday suggests that errors from air traffic controllers—one of whom was one the phone to his girlfriend at the time of the crash—are partly to blame, while the FAA insists it has no reason to believe controller missteps played a role. More»

Controller failed to inform him, NTSB report finds

(NEWSER) - An air traffic controller failed to warn the pilot of a plane in last weekend's mid-air collision over the Hudson River, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled today. Chatting on the phone, the controller did not inform the pilot that "there were several aircraft detected by radar in the area immediately ahead of the airplane, including the accident helicopter," said the NTSB. The controller and his supervisor are on paid leave while the FAA begins disciplinary proceedings against them, the Star-Ledger reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Above the Hudson River west of Manhattan, where a helicopter and a light plane fatally collided on Saturday, a pilot can have as many as a dozen other aircraft to monitor at busy moments. Flight instructors describe the river corridor as dangerous and tunnel-like, and government is once again facing calls to step in. "It's the Wild West out there, totally unregulated, and no one knows where these pilots are," one official tells the New York Times. More»

Five bodies recovered; poor visibility, currents stymie efforts

(NEWSER) - New York City police today spotted wreckage of the small plane that crashed into a helicopter and landed into the Hudson River yesterday, killing nine people, the Daily News reports. Crews also fished out the chopper remains and four more victims, bringing the body tally to seven. "We're continuing to search until we get everybody out, but the bottom line is it's going to take time," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. More»