An unfortunate crash today. Sad all round.

[MajGenl.Meade]

A World War Two-era plane crashed on Friday in New York City's Hudson River off Manhattan and a body was recovered from inside the aircraft, authorities said.

The aircraft went down off Manhattan's West 79th Street, a few miles (kms) south of the George Washington Bridge, at around 7:30 p.m., New Jersey State Police Sergeant Jeff Flynn said.

The New York Police Department said it recovered a body from inside the plane and believe it was the pilot, but could not confirm it was the pilot.

Flynn initially said the plane's sole occupant, a male pilot, was rescued from the river and transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The agency later said on its Twitter account that there were conflicting reports from the scene and they could no longer confirm the swimmer in the water was the plane's pilot.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a vintage P-47 Thunderbolt and was one of three aircraft that took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

Flynn said the plane was in the area because of Fleet Week, a week-long celebration of the U.S. military's seafaring service members. The other two aircraft safely returned to the airport.

An investigation has been launched into what caused the crash.

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/05/28/v ... /21385358/

[BoSoxGal]

Was it a body inside the plane, or a swimmer in the water with minor injuries?

Terrible article!

[Bicycle Bill]

Last article I saw about the crash said that the pilot, identified as Bill Gordon (56), was found in the cockpit and removed before the plane was recovered.  The canopy was partially open but he was apparently unable to free himself; whether this was due to a jammed canopy or because of injuries sustained in the crash is yet to be determined.  It might be noted that the aircraft (a P-47D/serial AF 44-90447 and named "Jacky's Revenge") was equipped with a 'bubble' canopy that would slide back to permit the pilot to exit the aircraft; there have been incidents in the past where the impact of a crash landing or ditching would warp and jam the canopy rails, making exit extremely difficult if not impossible.

Here's a couple pictures of what she looked like in better times.




I also note that someone has already gone to Wikipedia and struck her from the list of surviving P-47s.

-"BB"-

[RayThom]

This doesn't appear to be a crash that would have caused a fatality. I'm thinking the pilot may have had a medical problem that caused him to lose control.
http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/vin ... 1139113683

[MajGenl.Meade]

I also note that someone has already gone to Wikipedia and struck her from the list of surviving P-47s.

Rather premature perhaps, in view of the photo in Ray's attached article?

[Bicycle Bill]

I also note that someone has already gone to Wikipedia and struck her from the list of surviving P-47s.

Rather premature perhaps, in view of the photo in Ray's attached article?

I agree — which is why I noted it in the first place.  She had been listed under the "airworthy" section, so I suppose once she hit the drink (and without a full stem-to-stern go-over of the airframe and engine, and FAA recertification) removal from that section/relocation to the "under restoration/in storage" section may have been appropriate; but if it had been me who had done the update I would have merely added a parenthetical remark indicating she had been involved in a forced landing/ditching on such-and-such a date and her current status/condition was yet to be determined.

-"BB"-

[datsunaholic]

Only one prop blade is bent, which tells me it wasn't rotating when the plane hit the water. I wouldn't be surprised if the investigation finds engine failure.