The chopper, operated by Liberty Helicopters, was carrying five Italian tourists and was piloted by Ocean County, N.J., resident Jeremy Clark.
All nine people aboard the two aircraft perished. As of last night, seven bodies and the mangled helicopter had been recovered from the river. The plane was still missing.
"It's a horrible, horrible tragedy beyond belief - it's your worst nightmare coming true," said Arthur Wolk, a fellow pilot who knew Altman from their time together at Wings Field, a public airport in Blue Bell. "Once that collision occurred, there was no hope for anybody - no one."
Altman's plane hit the back of the helicopter, splitting both aircraft apart, according to witness reports.
Wolk said that in the space above the Hudson, small aircraft must fly below 1,100 feet, which creates a busy corridor in which the navigation rule is "see and avoid."
Negotiating the airspace is made more difficult by presence of choppers that ascend and descend rapidly, he said.
"You can't avoid what you can't see," he said. "I'm sure that neither of these pilots saw the other - positive, actually."
Altman and his father, David, also a pilot, both had "above-average" skills as aviators, Wolk said.
"They are a very well-regarded family in the flying community and that says a lot because pilots are very, very critical of their own," Wolk said. "So, for people to so highly regard them is a remarkable achievement."
Not only were the Altmans known for their aviation prowess, but also for their commitment to Angel Flight East, an organization of pilots who volunteer their time and aircraft to fly people in need of medical attention to medical centers where they can receive the best treatment.
Irving Altman, 84, uncle to Steven and Daniel and great-uncle to Douglas, said yesterday that all the men aboard were "very fine young people" and that the crash is a "terrible blow."
