国际英语新闻：Helicopter, small plane collide midair, crash into Hudson River

NEW YORK, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A helicopter and a small plane collided in the air and crashed into the Hudson River on the side of the U.S. state of New Jersey on Saturday, local media reported.

    Eyewitnesses told NY1 TV news channel on the phone that they saw a black helicopter and a blue-and-red small plane collided midair and both went down into the river, which divides New Jersey from New York City.

Police boats search the site of a crash between a sight seeing helicopter and an airplane over the Hudson River, in New York, the United States, August 8, 2009

The plane, which was flying 50 feet above the helicopter, seemed to have lost its control and hit the helicopter. The helicopter's rotor snapped off, while the plane lost a wing.

    Rescue team rushed to the scene and at least one survivor has been pulled out of water, unconfirmed reports said.

    Earlier reports said that the crash caused multiple injuries and probably one fatality.

Police and rescurers work on the pier near the crash site between a sight seeing helicopter and a small airplane over the Hudson River, in New York, the United States, August 8, 2009.

The Coast Guard said that they were still trying to determine how many people were actually involved in the accident.

    In January, a US Airways jet with over 150 people on board was forced to make a splash landing in the Hudson River after suffering a bird hit. All passengers and crew survived and the pilot was proclaimed a hero.