Fiancee tells chopper pilot's parents of death

The parents of the New Zealand helicopter pilot killed in a mid-air collision with a plane in New York were told of his death yesterday morning by his American fiancee.

Jeremy Clarke was one of nine killed in the collision over the Hudson River early yesterday (NZ time).

His body was one of seven so far believed to have been recovered from the wreckage site.

Post mortems were beginning today.

Mr Clarke's parents, Roger and Bernice, left New Zealand last night for the United States to be with his fiancee and his sister, Selina.

News Day has reported Jeffrey Smith, chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council, as saying Mr Clarke was "a phenomenal person and a professional".

"I had dinner with him on Thursday."

"We talked about how much in love he was with his girlfriend, how much he loved his family," Mr Smith said.

He said Mr Clarke was applying for US citizenship.

"Jeremy loved his job and he loved the company he was working for... A lot of people are at a loss right now," Mr Smith said.

The New York Times reported a relative of Mr Clarke's, Gina Fernandoes, describing him as a "sports loving, family-oriented man, very close to his family".

She said his father owned a cafe in Auckland.

Ms Fernandoes said Mr Clarke left New Zealand with an uncle for job opportunities.

She said that his parents were devastated at the news.

One News said Mr Clarke's family described him as a highly qualified pilot who had flown for the rich and famous.

The 33-year-old grew up on Auckland's North Shore, attending Rosmini College. He had lived in the United States for several years.

He was a pilot with tour operators Liberty Helicopters, and lived in Lanoka Harbour, New Jersey.

The company said Mr Clarke was a "skilled, professional instrument-rated commercial pilot with more than 3100 total hours flying helicopters".

He had begun his flying career in 2004 and worked for Liberty Helicopters for a year and a half.

The company said Mr Clarke was loved and respected by everyone at Liberty Helicopters.

It was believed Mr Clarke's sightseeing helicopter, which was carrying five Italian tourists, was hit from behind by a small private plane carrying three people, including a child.

Debris was scattered across the water and thousands of people on the waterfront were forced to scamper for cover.

A helicopter pilot refuelling on the ground at the Liberty Tours heliport saw the plane approaching the helicopter and tried to radio an alert to the pilots, police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

The warning wasn't heard, or didn't happen in time.

"He radioed the accident helicopter and told him, 'One-lima-hotel, you have a fixed wing behind you'," National Transportation Safety Board chairman Deborah Hersman said on Saturday.

"There was no response."

Eastern Region Helicopter Council chairman Jeffrey Smith said Mr Clarke loved sharing the panoramic views of Manhattan with his passengers, the Newsday website reported.

Mr Clarke was "a phenomenal person and a professional" whom Mr Smith regarded as a friend.

He said Mr Clarke was applying for US citizenship.

"Jeremy loved his job and he loved the company he was working for. A lot of people are at a loss right now."

The collision, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg said was "not survivable", happened just after noon (local time) and was seen by thousands of people enjoying a crystal-clear summer day from the New York and New Jersey sides of the river.

The two aircraft crashed just south of the stretch of river where a crippled US Airways jet landed safely in January.

The air accident, the deadliest in the New York City area since the 2001 crash of a commercial jet in Queens killed 265 people, also raised questions about the heavily trafficked river corridors for small planes on both sides of Manhattan.

Tides and low visibility were compromising the recovery operation, she said. Officials have warned residents not to touch pieces of debris that were likely to wash ashore.

- NZPA