Pilot’s lucky river landing

A HELICOPTER pilot escaped with only minor injuries after his chopper crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York on Wednesday.

The pilot, 34, suffered just a hand injury and no other people were on board.

The charter helicopter was hauled out of the water after about 90 minutes in the river.

A mobile phone video of the helicopter going down, taken by a WCBS TV editor, showed it descending into the river about 46m from a helipad.

The aircraft came down quickly but it wasn’t in freefall and its blades were rotating.