Hudson divers seek 2 victims, hope to raise plane

[August 10, 2009]  HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) -- A chief investigator says divers hope to pull a plane out of the Hudson River on Monday. But their first priority is to recover the two remaining victims of the midair crash that killed nine people.

An Army Corps of Engineers crane lifted the twisted wreckage of a helicopter from 30 feet of water on Sunday. It's believed the plane is nearby, about 50 feet deep.

NTSB chief Debbie Hersman told CNN on Monday: "We think we've had some positive hits on the skin of the airplane."

Hersman said on NBC's "Today" show that investigators will eventually examine the aircrafts' structural integrity. They'll also try to determine how the initial impact occurred on Saturday.

The private plane carried a family from Pennsylvania. The helicopter held five Italian tourists.

[Associated Press; By GEOFF MULVIHILL]

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