Authorities: Two Dead, One Hurt In Plane Crash Near Westhampton Beach Airport
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two people were killed in a Sunday morning plane crash in Suffolk County.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating after the plane carrying three people crashed into trees near Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Navion F aircraft was practicing takeoffs and landings when it crashed at around 11:40 a.m.
An official in Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office says New York National Guard members flying a helicopter in the area landed and helped rescue the victims from the plane that had burst into flames.
The names of the deceased have not yet been released.
The third passenger on the plane, identified as aircraft owner and animal rights activist Richard Rosenthal, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital. His condition isn't known at this time, but he's expected to be alright.
Neighbors on Longwood Drive expressed relief that Rosenthal was pulled out of the fiery wreckage by New York National Guard troops training nearby. An official in Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office says National Guard members flying a helicopter in the area landed and helped rescue the victims from the plane that had burst into flames.
The airport is used by corporations and private plane owners, as well as the 106th Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard. It was built by the federal government in 1943.
The NTSB tells CBS2 they have a "go-team" on the way to the site of the crash to determine what exactly happened.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
