As the sun broke over New York’s Hudson River on Sunday morning rescue workers resumed their search for the victims of the mid air collision between a small airplane and a sightseeing helicopter that occurred on Saturday afternoon.

This is no longer a rescue mission, those hopes faded yesterday afternoon, when New York’s Mayor Bloomberg announced it had become a mission of recovery, since experts felt all nine people aboard the two aircraft were likely to have died instantly. So far 7 bodies were rescued and brought back to land.

There were three people aboard the small aircraft – a Piper Saratoga PA-32 – two brothers, Steven and Daniel Altman and Daniel’s son Douglas. it is believed that the 15 year old’s body is amongst those already pulled from the murky waters.

The helicopter was carrying five Italian  tourists who had boarded the craft to enjoy an afternoon’s sightseeing. The final victim was the pilot of the helicopter, which was owned and operated by Liberty Helicopters, who has been identified as Jeremy Clark of Lanoka Harbor, N.J.

The Italian news agency ANSA identified the copter victims as Tiziana Pedrone, Fabio Gallazzi, Giacomo Gallazzi, Michele Norelli and Filippo Norelli, all from the Bologna area of Italy.

The crash was witnessed by hundreds of people on the ground below, and the NSTB is appealing to people who may have captured photographs or video of the incident to contact them, in the hope that such things can help authorities piece together the final moments of the aircraft and figure out what wrong.

These witnesses watched in horror as the plane’s right wing slammed into the helicopter. While the plane, according to some continued to fly for a few moments the helicopter plummeted from the sky immediately, losing its rotor blades as it hit the water.

Steven Altman was not an inexperienced pilot; he had held a license since 2001and according to family members was an avid aviator.

The air space above the Manhattan section of the Hudson River is notoriously busy, and even very experienced pilots admitted yesterday that extra vigilance is always required in the area.

Earlier this year another crash had a happy ending, when veteran pilot Chesley Sullenberger landed his US Airways plane in the water safely, without injuries or fatalities. This time it seems that there will be no such fairy tale outcome.