A New Zealander was flying the helicopter involved in a mid-air collision over the Hudson River in New York yesterday in which nine people died.

Liberty Helicopters said the pilot was Jeremy Clark, 33, who had been living in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, the New York Times reported.

Mr Clark's aunt told One News that his parents were to fly to New York from Auckland Airport last night.

It was believed Mr Clark's sightseeing helicopter, carrying five Italian tourists, was hit from behind by 60-year-old Steven M. Altman's single-engine Piper aircraft which had two other people on board: his brother Daniel Altman, who is also his partner in the family's real estate business, and a teenage boy.

The helicopter passengers were part of a larger group of about a dozen Italians - a collection of family and friends who lived in the Bologna area - visiting New York City as part of a holiday that was to wrap up on the beaches of Mexico, according to an Italian official and a person familiar with their plans.

Acknowledgements: TV One News