New York: Kiwi pilot's family calls for new safety regulations

New Zealander Jeremy Clarke was killed when the helicopter he was piloting was hit from behind by a small plane in New York last weekend. Photo / Supplied

The family of the dead Kiwi pilot whose helicopter went down after a plane collided with it, want lessons learned from his death.

In a statement released today, the family of Jeremy Clarke have called for new regulatory provisions in the aviation industry to prevent future deaths.

Nine people were killed in the collision on Sunday morning (NZ Time), including the 33 year-old, Mr Clarke.

The other victims included three fathers and their three teenage sons.

The plane carried a family from Pennsylvania, and the helicopter held five Italian tourists celebrating a couple's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

All nine of the bodies, including Mr Clarke's, have now been recovered from the river, New York police spokesman Paul Browne told Reuters.

"His love of flying walked hand-in-hand with the dedication as a professional, winning the respect and admiration of his peers within the commercial aviation industry," the statement said.

"He was a native New Zealander who loved the land of his birth as well as his new found home in America, and looked forward to sharing his life with his beloved fiancee, Danielle."

Meanwhile, part of the plane that collided with Mr Clarke's sightseeing helicopter has been removed from the Hudson River.

The red-and-white section of the single-engine Piper came free of the murky and fast-moving river shortly after 5pm EDT (0900 NZT).

Divers had located the plane in about 18 metres of water and said one body was inside it.

- NZ HERALD STAFF, AP