The pilot killed in this weekend's New York plane and helicopter collision was a wealthy Jewish philanthropist who used the plane in which he died in to transport sick people to hospital for charity.

Steven Altman, 60, a property tycoon from Ambler, near Philadelphia, was flying the plane in clear weather, with his brother Daniel and his 15-year-old nephew Douglas when he hit a helicopter and crashed into the Hudson River, Manhattan.

He was a long-time volunteer pilot for charity ‘Angel Flights East’ which flies sick people to and from faraway hospitals for free, but was on a family flight to the beach town of Ocean City in New Jersey.

All three were killed in the crash, as were the five Italian tourists who were in the helicopter and its pilot.

Mr Altman, a father of three, owned Altman Management Company and more than 14,000 apartments in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.

FAA records showed Mr Altman gained his flying licence in 1998, and had a clean record, with the training to fly in poor weather in his Piper PA-32 single engine plane.

Bruce Toll, co-founder of homebuilder Toll Brothers said the Altman family were prominent in property circles and were extremely active in local Jewish charities and were involved in their local synagogue.