The Nation - News from May 2, 1988

A sightseeing helicopter crashed into the East River in New York and sank. All five people aboard were rescued but one man who was trapped under water more than 90 minutes died nine hours later, authorities said. The other four, including the 22-year-old pilot, were pulled out of the water by harbor police, who found two men clinging to pontoons and two grasping for other bits of wreckage. They were not seriously injured. The victim, identified as Takashi Oyama of Japan, died of cardiopulmonary arrest, a spokesman for Bellevue Hospital said. According to authorities, the pilot experienced “performance difficulties” while he was hovering 1,000 feet above the river awaiting permission to land.