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WWII Aircraft Plummets Into New York's Hudson River


Search-and-rescue boats look for a small plane that went down in the Hudson River, May 27, 2016.
Search-and-rescue boats look for a small plane that went down in the Hudson River, May 27, 2016.

A vintage World War Two aircraft crashed into the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey Friday evening.

New York City police said the body of the pilot, a 56-year-old man, was recovered from the wreckage, a few kilometers south of the George Washington Bridge.

The P-47 Thunderbolt was one of three planes that took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

Witnesses said the plane had engine trouble before plummeting into the river.

Authorities said it was the only one of the three crafts that experienced any trouble.

The Thunderbolt was scheduled to take part in an air show this weekend honoring its 75th anniversary.

The American Airpower Museum, the sponsor of the event entitled "75 Years of Thunder," described the air show as "the perfect family event" for the Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

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