Police divers have recovered seven bodies from the mid-air helicopter and plane collision over the Hudson River in New York that killed nine people Saturday. Emergency personnel transport a body Sunday on the Hudson River. (Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

Earlier Sunday, New York City and New Jersey divers recovered a single body and a piece of fuselage after finding three bodies on the day of the accident, police said.

National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman said at a news conference later Sunday that two more bodies had been recovered.

All nine people aboard both aircraft — three in the private plane and six in the helicopter — are presumed dead.

Two law enforcement officials identified the plane's pilot as Steven Altman, 60, of Ambler, Pa., Also in the plane were the pilot's brother, Daniel Altman, 49, of Dresher, Pa., and Daniel's 16-year-old son, Douglas.

The five tourists on the helicopter were from the Bologna, Italy, area. Italian media identified them as Fabio Gallazzi, 49, his wife Tiziana Pedrone, and their son, Giacomo Gallazzi, 16, together with Michele Norelli, 52, and his son, Filippo Norelli, 17.

The helicopter pilot has been identified as Jeremy Clark of Lanoka Harbor, N.J.

Anniversary celebration turns to disaster

Michele Norelli and his wife, Silvia Rigamonti, were in New York for a weeklong vacation to celebrate 25 years of marriage. Their other son, Davide Norelli, stayed behind in Italy. He told the New York Times his mother decided not to take the helicopter ride because "she was afraid."

"The trip was a gift from one of Norelli's sisters to mark the 25th anniversary of his marriage," Giovanni Leporati, a friend of the family, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

"The anniversary already happened but they took advantage of the August holidays and went," he said.

Two other Italian tourists, a 42-year-old woman from Rome and her 13-year-old son, had planned to take part in the same helicopter ride but arrived last and missed the flight.

Officials said the plane's right wing clipped the back of the helicopter as the two aircraft were flying in the same direction. Both aircraft split apart and fell into the river about 100 metres from the shore of Hoboken, N.J.

The Piper Saratoga aircraft had just taken off from nearby Teterboro, N.J., airport and was heading south over the river to Ocean City, N.J. The helicopter, operated by Liberty Helicopter Tours, had just taken off from a heliport in Manhattan.

Divers have been troubled by low visibility in their search for victims.

With files from The Associated Press