Accident
On August 8, 2009, at 11:53 a.m. (15:53 UTC), a collision occurred between a tour helicopter and a private airplane over the Hudson River. The accident took place near Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Aircraft
One of the aircraft involved was a Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, operated as a tour helicopter. The other was a small private airplane, a Piper PA-32R. The collision resulted in the deaths of nine people.
Operational Environment
The aircraft were flying within an area known as the "Hudson River VFR Corridor." This corridor extends from the surface of the river to altitudes ranging from 800 to 1,500 feet along various locations of the Hudson River near New York City. Within this corridor, all aircraft operate under visual flight rules (VFR). Under VFR, the responsibility to see and avoid other air traffic rests with the individual pilots, rather than with air traffic control.