NEW YORK (Reuters) - A tour helicopter collided with a small plane in midair and both crashed into the Hudson River near lower Manhattan, police reported on Saturday.
There was no immediate report on casualties. CNN said the helicopter had six people aboard. The U.S. Coast Guard said one person was rescued by the New York Fire Department.
A police spokesman said the crash was in the vicinity of West 14th Street.
Search and rescue craft rushed to the area and police divers were looking for survivors. The weather around the time of the accident at noon (5 p.m. British time) was reported to be clear and mild.
The helicopter was operated by Liberty Helicopter, local media said. The company says on its website it is the largest sightseeing and charter helicopter operator in the U.S. Northeast.
An eyewitness told the NY1 local TV station he saw a wing come off the plane just before the collision. The helicopter immediately plummeted into the river, the witness said. Others reported hearing a loud boom.
In January, a US Airways jet with more than 150 people on board crashed into the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese. All aboard survived.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Writing by Alan Elsner; Editing by Paul Simao)
