Schumer: NTSB Should Investigate Spate Of Small Plane Crashes
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York Senator Chuck Schumer wants the National Transportation Safety Board to conduct an in-depth investigation of small plane crashes following two incidents last month.
Schumer released a letter on Sunday he wrote to the NTSB, calling for a comprehensive safety review.
"Safety is our number one priority and an NTSB investigation could reveal new clues that make our skies safer," Schumer said Sunday. "In addition to its case-by-case investigations, the NTSB should launch a more comprehensive investigation that might connect the dots on a larger trend."
In his letter, Schumer cited a Feb. 19 crash of a single-engine plane that took off from Long Island and crashed into a neighborhood in Bayonne, New Jersey. Authorities say the pilot of the small plane encountered mechanical issues just before it went down.
He also cited a Feb. 26 crash of a plane being used for practice at another Long Island airport. Two people were killed in the crash. In that incident, a Navion F aircraft was practicing takeoffs and landings when it crashed into trees near Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach, killing two people and seriously injuring a third, according to the FAA.
"There is considerable and well-founded concern on Long Island about the frequency of these accidents, their lethal-ness to those involved, and their potential to induce catastrophe to residents on the ground," Schumer wrote.
According to Schumer, up to 18 other small plane crashes occurred in New York State throughout 2016.
The NTSB had no immediate response.
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