Click here for Video of the terrible moment when the two aircraft collided over the Hudson River.
Two Teterboro Airport air traffic controllers who were handling the plane involved in the recent midair collison over the Hudson River have been suspended from duty, New York media are reporting today.
The plane and a helicopter carrying sightseeing tourists collided, resulting in the death of nine people, including 33-year-old New Zealander Jeremy Clarke, who was piloting the helicopter.
NBC New York and the NY Daily Mail are reporting that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has suspended two local air traffic controllers.
FAA is reported as saying that "we learned that the controller handling the Piper flight was involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident. We also learned that the supervisor was not present in the building as required."
The Daily News has reported that the controller was talking to his fiancée as the disaster took place.
The FAA have allegedly said that they while have "no reason to believe at this time that these actions contributed to the accident, this kind of conduct is unacceptable."
The two have been placed on disciplinary leave and disciplinary proceedings have begun, officials are reported as saying.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association have allegedly released a statement saying, "we support that any such allegation is fully investigated before there is a rush to judgement about the behavior of (the) controller."
- NZ HERALD STAFF
