New York, Aug 11 (DPA) Divers have found the wreckage of the fixed-wing aircraft and a body inside it in the Hudson River by New York City, where the plane had collided with a sightseeing helicopter Saturday.

One body still remained missing, and there were no survivors. The helicopter wreckage was located soon after the accident.

Five of the nine victims were Italian tourists, including a man and his 16-year-old son, taking a long-planned sightseeing helicopter tour around Manhattan.

The father, Michele Norelli, 51, was also celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife, Silvia Rigamonti, who stayed on land as the chopper took off because of her fear of flying, The New York Times reported.

Divers had stopped their search earlier Monday because of strong currents, but returned to find the wreckage of the single-engine Piper was in about 20 metres of water, according to New York police spokesman Paul Browne, Newsday reported online.

They were not able to remove the body, CNN reported.

The collision has triggered a debate about the safety of small aircraft traffic in the New York City air corridor. About 225 helicopters, small planes and amphibious craft fly with no air traffic control in the area on any one day, according to Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).