Story highlights Body recovered believed to be that of the pilot

The vintage plane departed Republic Airport on Long Island

New York (CNN) A vintage World War II plane flying in the New York area crashed in the Hudson River on Friday, killing one person.

The body of a 56-year-old man, presumed to be the pilot, was recovered in the river near the downed plane, the New York Police Department said.

Police identified the victim as William Gordon, from Key West, Florida.

A distress signal was sent before the one-seater plane crashed, a police spokesman said.

NYPD & @FDNY joint operation ongoing in response to a small plane landing in the Hudson River near 79 St pic.twitter.com/HEbhbbMjX8 — NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) May 28, 2016

The P-47 Thunderbolt was one of three aircraft that departed Republic Airport on Long Island, according to Kathleen Bergen, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

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