World War 2-era plane goes down in the Hudson River

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Police Department says the pilot of a small World War II vintage plane that crashed in the Hudson River is still unaccounted for.

New Jersey state police had said the pilot was the only person on the plane and had been rescued but have now retracted that. It says the NYPD is the lead agency on the case.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft, which went down near the George Washington Bridge, was one of three that had departed from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, on Long Island, just east of New York City.

The other two aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely.

The American Airpower Museum is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the P-47 Thunderbolt this weekend. Museum spokesman Gary Lewi said the plane is kept at the museum.

"Apparently the aircraft suffered an inflight engine failure and the pilot put it into the Hudson," Lewi said. "I'm told the aircraft is at the bottom of the Hudson."

North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue co-director Jeff Welz told The Jersey Journal that firefighters and the Coast Guard responded after the Friday night crash. He said the plane sank "pretty quickly."

Welz said that the plane was in the area for Fleet Week activities.

While Fleet Week activities are happening around New York and at a nearby museum, there is also an air show this weekend at Jones Beach.

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