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Hudson Air Collision: Total of 7 Bodies Found, Wreckage Lifted
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 10, 2009
Modified Aug 10, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 10, 2009
Modified Aug 10, 2009
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Investigators continue searching the Hudson River for other remains and wreckage from Saturday's tragic collision between a small plane and sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River. So far, seven bodies have been found, as well as helicopter wreckage. Authorities are hoping to pull the plane's wreckage from the water, but they say that finding the two remaining bodies is their first priority.
The papers have various portraits of the victims: On the helicopter were five Italian tourists—Michele Norelli, 51 and his son Filippo Norelli, 16, and their friends Fabio Gallazzi, 49, and Tiziana Pedrone, 44, and their son, Giacomo Gallazzi, 15 —on vacation and a veteran helicopter pilot, Jeremy Clarke, originally from New Zealand, who was planning his wedding. On the plane was Pennsylvania businessman Steven Atlman, 60, who was flying the plane—he was an experienced pilot who also "flew missions for Angel Flight East, which provides free air transportation for medical patients and their families"—his brother Daniel, 49, and Daniel's son, Douglas, 16.
Italian tourist Silvia Rigamonti, whose husband Michele Norelli and son Filippo Norelli, died in the crash, was originally to have taken the fatal helicopter flight as well, but got cold feet. She had to tell her 23-year-old son Davide Norelli that his father and brother died; Norelli was planning on visiting NYC in a few weeks, but the NY Times reports that he said, "I won’t ever set foot in New York in my entire life," and wondered, "Is it normal that after Sept. 11, you Americans still allow planes to fly so low? That’s what I want to ask the American public."
The flight corridor over the Hudson River requires pilots to operate under visual flight rules—pilots tells each other their locations over radio—but the crash has raised questions about the safety. National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Deborah Hersman said, "We are looking at everything. We know it's congested."
Tagged
flight rules
helicopter
Hudson Air collision
hudson river
Italian tourists
ntsb
plane
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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