Pilot Boruch Taub, passenger Benjamin Chafetz killed in emergency landing near Westchester County Airport

There are new details in the crash of a small plane just short of Westchester County Airport.

It was trying to make an emergency landing after it took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

It was a real challenge because of the apparent condition of the plane and the weather at the time. The cloud ceiling was only 300 feet. Above that, you couldn't see anything.

A desperate call for help came with the airport so close, but the flight would end tragically. The plane crashed in the woods, taking the lives of pilot Boruch Taub and passenger Ben Chafetz.

Chafetz was buried Friday in Ohio.

The two were flying a Beechcraft A36 home to suburban Cleveland, taking off from JFK Thursday evening, but engine trouble came quickly.

In Air Traffic Control audio, Taub can be heard saying, "I am declaring an emergency. Our oil pressure's dropping."

He made an attempt to land at Westchester County Airport.

"Number 1-9 Mike Tango, the base at Westchester reported at 300 feet," the tower says.

"I flew ILS there a couple of weeks ago, so we'll try for it," Taub says.

ILS -- Instrument Landing System -- because of heavy rain and pea soup cloud cover. Nonetheless, they seemed to be on the right track.

"One-nine Mike Tango, you look beautiful for the left base, Runway 1-6," the tower says.

"Just keep giving me those vectors 'cause I can't see a thing up here," Taub says.

The tower got the plane agonizingly close to a safe landing.

"One-nine Mike Tango, the runway's at 10 o'clock in less than a mile," the tower says.

The tower can later be heard saying, "One-nine Mike Tango, radio contact loss ... Any word from him? ... I don't have anything on the aircraft right now."

"Any emergency is terrifying. If you can't see outside, it's even more so," said Dr. Michael Canders, the director of the aviation center of Farmingdale State College.

Canders says pilots in an emergency are taught to try to land in the open, but that would have been difficult in this situation.'

"In a very congested, overpopulated area, like New York City, Westchester County, there's a lot of buildings, there's a lot of development, so if there's zero visibility, it's really it's going to be just a matter of pure luck for you to avoid obstacles," he said. "It's virtually impossible to land the aircraft safely."

Taub and Chafetz apparently knew just how dire their situation was. Chafetz texted his family from the plane to say that the plane was in trouble, to ask for prayers and to tell his family that he loved them.

Radio calls and text messages are giving us new insight into a small plane crash in Westchester County that killed two people on board.

Police guarded the crash scene Friday while experts evaluate how and when to remove the wreckage from the dense forest north of Westchester County Airport.

The pilot was experienced and had landed there using instruments a few weeks ago. His attempted emergency landing Thursday night came up 1 mile short of safety.

Just hours after the wreckage was found in the woods north of Rye Lake, the bodies of Boruch Taub and Ben Chafetz were flown to Cleveland, where mourners gathered Friday afternoon at a funeral service for Chafetz, a prominent figure in the Ohio Orthodox community who leaves behind a wife and seven children.

"How proud he was. How devoted he was. He would walk around the city telling us about your thank you notes and how you're learning and how you're doing great in high school. He was so, so proud," one speaker said.

Pilot Boruch Taub was flying the six-seat Beechcraft A36, reporting engine trouble soon after taking off in bad weather from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Taub was calm while talking with Air Traffic Control before the crash.

Tower: "I am going to keep you climbing to eight in about 10 to 15 miles."

Taub: "We're not getting the performance we're expecting, and I'm not sure why."

Tower: "Westchester County Airport's right off your right wing if you want to land and check it out. Are you declaring an emergency?"

Taub: "Not at this time."

Tower: "When you can, make a right turn, heading 340 -- looks like I see you doing it now."

Taub: "I am declaring an emergency, our oil pressure is dropping."

Tower: "Do you have engine power right now? Are you able to maintain altitude?"

Taub: "No, the engine is over running. Mayday, mayday, mayday, mayday."

The mayday call sent first responders rushing to the woods near the airport. The search was hampered by nasty weather that made it impossible to fly drones and use other equipment.

"We had a multi-domain search-and-rescue effort that included water, land and aviation," Westchester County Airport manager April Gasparri said.

The FBI used technology to search for the men's smartphones.

"We were able to then ping, that gave us a general idea of where the plane was. Still not sure of whether or not it was in the water or on the land," Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie said.

Just before 11 p.m., the wreckage was found with two bodies inside.

"Mr. Taub, Mr. Chafetz are gone. They leave a hole at the dinner table in their homes. They leave a hole in the life of their communities, communities of faith. Losing them is the overarching story of today," Westchester County Executive George Latimer said.

As CBS2's Tony Aiello reports, we know Chafetz texted his family right before the crash to ask for prayers and to say he loved them.

The funeral for Taub will be on Sunday.

The NTSB is ramping up an investigation that will look at the actions of the pilot, the conditions of the aircraft, the weather and many other factors.

Two men from Ohio are dead and their bodies are already on the way home for burial before sunset, respecting Orthodox Jewish tradition. 

Their flight from John F. Kennedy Airport to Cleveland in a six seat, single engine aircraft ended with an attempted emergency landing at Westchester County Airport. They crashed a mile short of safety.

Chopper 2 was over the scene of the crash in a heavily wooded area just north of Rye Lake and just a few moments flying time from a safe landing on runway 1-6.

Air Traffic Control audio shows a calm pilot, Boruch Taub, reporting an engine issue to the tower a few minutes before his Beechcraft A36 dropped off radar. 

Tower: "I am going to keep you climbing to eight in about 10 to 15 miles."

Pilot: "We're not getting the performance we're expecting, and I'm not sure why."

Tower: "Westchester County Airport's right off your right wing if you want to land and check it out."

Tower goes on to ask the pilot if he's declaring an emergency, and the pilot replies, "not at this time." 

Tower: "When you can, make a right turn, heading 340 -- looks like I see you doing it now."

Pilot: "I am declaring an emergency, our oil pressure is dropping."

Tower: "Do you have engine power right now? Are you able to maintain altitude?"

Pilot: "No, the engine is over running. Mayday, mayday, mayday, mayday."

Within five minutes after that, first responders were rushing to the airport vicinity. The search was hampered by nasty weather that made it impossible to fly drones and use other technology. 

The wreckage was located after five hours with help from the FBI. 

"The FBI was brought in to help ping cellphones, which then pinpointed the site and really expedited the confirmation that there was wreckage, and did confirm that two individuals had lost their lives," said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. 

The deceased are pilot Taub and passenger Benjamin Chafetz of northeast Ohio. 

The release of their bodies was expedited for quick burial Friday before sunset, in accordance with Orthodox tradition. 

"Mr. Taub and Mr. Chafetz are gone. They leave a hole at the dinner table in their homes. They leave a hole in the life of their communities of faith. And losing them, that is the overarching story of today," Latimer said. 

Multiple sources confirmed Chafetz texted his family minutes before the crash to let them know he loved them and ask for prayers. 

Officials say the plane will not be removed for several days to allow NTSB investigators time to do their work.

Westchester County officials, along with state and federal authorities, provided an update Friday morning on the investigation. 

Westchester County Executive George Latimer identified the two men who were killed as pilot Boruch Taub and passenger Benjamin Chafetz, both from the Cleveland area.

Latimer said they were members of the Orthodox Jewish community, and there are "special religious traditions that have to be honored when dealing with fatalities." He said their bodies have already been recovered and sent to Ohio to be buried before sundown.

"Mr. Taub and Mr. Chafetz are gone. They leave a hole at the dinner table in their homes. They leave a hole in the life of their communities of faith. And in losing them, that is the overarching story of today," he went on to say. "Mr. Chafetz communicated with his wife in the last few minutes of his life."

Westchester County officials plan to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Friday. 

We hope to learn more about what caused the crash and the victims on board. 

You can watch live on our streaming channel CBS News New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted Friday morning that it joined the investigation.