Vintage WWII Plane Scheduled to Perform at Bethpage Air Show Goes Down in Hudson River, Pilot Killed

BY TOM DAVIS

A vintage WWII-era plane that was set to perform at the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach this weekend crashed into the Hudson River on Friday, killing the pilot onboard, authorities said.

The NYPD confirmed that the body of the pilot was recovered from the sunken aircraft, a World War II-era P-47 Thunderbolt that went down about two miles south of the George Washington Bridge. The pilot was identified as William Gordon, 56, of Key West, Fla.

Authorities responded to the report of a small, non-commercial aircraft going down into the Hudson River near West New York and the 79 Street Boat Basin in New York City at 7:29 p.m, police said.

Here is the crash caught on video, provided by NBC New York:

The aircraft, which belonged to American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, was on a photo flight with at least two other planes along the river when there was some kind of mechanical issue.

In a statement posted online, Bethpage Air Show organizers wrote that the show would continue as planned, but with heavy hearts.

We are saddened by the news that the WWII P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft crashed over the Hudson last night. The pilot was a friend to us all and we send our deepest sympathy to his family and our friends at the American Air Power Museum. The Bethpage Air Show will continue as planned, but with heavy hearts.

A spokesman for the American Airpower Museum told the New York Times that the 1944 plane had flown twice earlier on Friday with no issues and had been consistently free of troubles. At the time of the crash, the plane was being photographed as part of a promotional shoot for the air show.

Diners at Waterside Restaurant in North Bergen, N.J., told NBC New York that they saw the small vintage plane appear to start landing, then suddenly plunge into the water nose first.

Photo, video courtesy of NBC New York.

The photo below (by Thomas Lederer) is of the plane that crashed. Underneath it is a photo of William Gordon in the plane from Gordon's Facebook page.