Recovery teams in the US have resumed their search for bodies following yesterday's mid-air collision over New York's Hudson River.
Nine people are believed to be dead after a helicopter carrying Italian tourists crashed mid-air with a light airplane yesterday afternoon.
Two more bodies were pulled from the Hudson River today after three bodies were recovered yesterday.
The first bodies were pulled from the river hours after the helicopter - a Eurocopter AS350 - carrying five tourists and a pilot collided with a single-propeller Piper PA32 plane in full view of horrified residents.
Ms Hersman said she could not confirm the identities of the three bodies, or which aircraft they had been aboard.
Earlier in the day, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a press conference that what had started as a rescue operation was being converted into a recovery operation, saying the incident was 'not survivable'.
Ms Hersman said divers had located the wreckage of the helicopter and were using sonar equipment to search for the plane before they shut down operations overnight.
The collision took place just after noon (1600 GMT), when river-front streets were crowded with locals and tourists.
New York state Governor David Paterson offered the bereaved his condolences.
'What began as a beautiful day with blue skies has turned into a day of darkness for those who lost someone they love today,' he said.
Officials said the light plane had taken off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, while the helicopter belonged to a company providing flights for tourists.
Their collision took place in a densely crowded air corridor used by commercial flights, private pilots and tourist helicopters.
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine called the accident 'devastating' and said that safety measures needed checking.
'All of us in this region also need to take a long and serious look at the circumstances surrounding this crash to ensure that significant air traffic over the Hudson doesn't come at the risk of the safety of New Jersey families who live along the riverfront,' he said.
This January an Airbus jet operated by US Airways lost power over New York but the pilot made a successful splash landing in the Hudson, just off Manhattan, with no loss of life.
The accident was caused after the airliner hit a flock of wild geese, resulting in both engines to be disabled.
