Police: 1 dead, 2 critically injured in small plane crash in Lindenhurst
LINDENHURST, N.Y. -- One person was killed and two others were critically injured in a small plane crash in Suffolk County on Sunday afternoon.
The single-engine private plane made a crash landing near the intersection of Wellwood Avenue and 5th Street in North Lindenhurst, approximately 300 feet south of the Long Island Rail Road track, at around 3 p.m., police said.
The Suffolk County Police Department said there were three on board the plane and that one was killed. The other two were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Watch: Kristie Keleshian's report
It was a tragic end to a 40-minute sightseeing tour flight. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane took off from Republic Airport on Sunday afternoon. A short time later, the pilot issued a mayday signal.
"Republic Airport air traffic controllers received a mayday call from a small privately-owned aircraft. The pilot was reporting smoke in the cockpit," Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives John Rowan said.
The aircraft tried to make an emergency landing but crashed in the street near train tracks and a business complex. There were no injuries reported on the ground.
Planes flying overhead in the area are the norm for residents, but they had never seen something like this.
"We don't really think about it. It's kind of a normal thing and there's the train here, too, and we always hear the noises," Lindenhurst resident Steven Fana said.
"I saw smoke come from over here and I had to check it out. It's just very upsetting," added resident Aaron Bolger.
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating and the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.