Vintage plane crashes in New York's Hudson River

By Reuters   May 27, 2016 | 06:32 pm PT
Vintage plane crashes in New York's Hudson River
An FDNY fire department boat searches the Hudson River for the wreckage of a vintage P-47 Thunderbolt airplane that crashed in the river in New York City, New York, U.S. May 27, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A World War Two-era plane crashed in New York City's Hudson River off Manhattan on Friday and authorities said the pilot was unaccounted for.

New Jersey State Police Sergeant Jeff Flynn said the aircraft went down off Manhattan's West 79th Street, a few miles (kms) south of the George Washington Bridge, at around 7:30 p.m.

Flynn initially said the plane's sole occupant, a male pilot, was rescued from the river and transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The agency later said on its Twitter account however that there were conflicting reports from the scene and they could no longer confirm the swimmer in the water was the plane's pilot.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a vintage P-47 Thunderbolt and was one of three aircraft that took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

Flynn said the plane was in the area because of Fleet Week, a week-long celebration of the U.S. military's seafaring service members. The other two aircraft safely returned to the airport.

An investigation has been launched into what caused the crash.

A large police and fire department presence was visible at the makeshift rescue headquarters at the 79th Street Boat Basin, where diners at a nearby restaurant looked on at the operations.

Roughly a half dozen police and fire rescue boats adorned with flashing blue lights trawled the river into Friday night as authorities continued the search.

A World War Two-era plane crashed in New York City's Hudson River off Manhattan on Friday and authorities rescued the pilot from the water, police said.

New Jersey State Police Sergeant Jeff Flynn said the aircraft went down off Manhattan's West 79th Street, a few miles (kms) south of the George Washington Bridge, at around 7:30 p.m.

He said the plane's sole occupant, a male pilot, was rescued from the river and transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a vintage P-47 Thunderbolt and was one of three aircraft that took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

Flynn said the plane was in the area because of Fleet Week, a week-long celebration of the U.S. military's seafaring service members. The other two aircraft safely returned to the airport.

An investigation has been launched into what caused the crash.

 
 
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