Small plane crashes in suburban Long Island; 1 person died, 2 people were injured

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (AP) – A single-engine plane crashed Sunday on approach to a regional airport near Long Island City, killing one person on board and seriously injuring two others, federal officials said.

There are no casualties on the ground.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Piper PA 28 was en route to Republic Airport in Farmingdale when it crashed around 3:00 p.m. The airport is located approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of New York.

Suffolk County police said one person died at the scene and two passengers were airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries. It was not immediately clear who they were.

Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Shaffer said the plane crashed into trees and brush and no one was injured on the ground.

“It crashed in a wooded area near the Long Island Railroad. It’s like a buffer along the road,” he said.

Shafer said the plane radioed “mayday” before it crashed.

Tom Altieri told Newsday that he was getting out of his car to enter his North Lindenhurst home around 3 p.m. when he noticed an unusually “low and slow” single-engine plane. Seconds after seeing the plane pass overhead, he heard a “very large explosion” followed by a plume of smoke.

One person posted photos on social media showing black smoke billowing over houses on a suburban street. Police said they closed a local road due to the accident.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Police also said they were investigating.