New York crash: Helicopter was 'out of control'

A woman has died and two others are critically injured after a helicopter plunged into a river in New York City shortly after take-off.

Witnesses described how the privately owned Bell 206 aircraft spun out of control and fell into the East River near 34th Street in midtown Manhattan.

Eyewitness Joy Garnett said the helicopter was ''out of control from the moment it lifted''.

She described how the aircraft was spinning around before it crashed into the water.