Search continues for final victims of NY air crash

NEW YORK Aug 10 (Reuters) - Divers searched the Hudson River on Monday for the final two bodies missing after the collision of a helicopter and small plane that killed nine people.

Five Italian tourists and the New Zealand-born pilot of the helicopter were killed on Saturday, along with the U.S. pilot of the plane, his brother and his nephew when the midday collision sent both aircraft plunging into the river.

Seven bodies have been retrieved. The search for victims and wreckage has been hampered by strong currents and poor visibility in the river separating New York and New Jersey.

The small plane had just taken off from the nearby Teterboro, New Jersey, airport when it collided with the helicopter, which had just taken off on what was to have been a 12-minute sightseeing flight around Manhattan.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the plane, a Piper Saratoga, appeared to hit the back of the helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350, which was operated by Liberty Helicopter, the largest sightseeing helicopter operator in the U.S. Northeast.

"Pilots' first responsibility is to see and avoid," Bloomberg told reporters on Monday. "Sadly sometimes people make mistakes. I don't know in this case who made a mistake. That's for the (National Transportation Safety Board) to decide."

Witnesses' photographs showed one of the plane's wings came off after the collision, as did the helicopter's rotors. Chunks of debris fell on the New Jersey side of the river in Hoboken, narrowly missing motorists.

The crash occurred near the site where a US Airways jet with more than 150 people on board splashed down in the frigid river last winter after hitting a flock of geese. All aboard survived.

Authorities said they do not expect to find recording equipment in this wreckage because small aircraft are not required to carry it.

The collision has prompted calls for more regulation of air traffic along the busy waterways around Manhattan that are major routes for small aircraft.

Investigators expect to be able to determine the cause of the crash by interviewing air traffic controllers and reviewing air traffic control and radar data as well as photos and other evidence, authorities said.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reports there have been 70 midair collisions involving 140 aircraft in the United States in the past 10 years. There were fatalities aboard 83 of those aircraft. (Additional reporting by Chris Michaud; writing by Michelle Nichols; editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Bill Trott)