Two Survive After Small Plane Crash in West Milford
WEST MILFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Two people survived the crash Saturday of a plane owned by a company that flies to disperse the ashes of the deceased.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the 1975 Cessna was being used for the business of Bloomingdale-based Last Wish LLC., when it crashed Saturday morning at the runway of Greenwood Lake Airport in West Milford.
Police say both people on board were initially trapped in the small plane, then freed and flown to Morristown Memorial Hospital.
Neither their names nor conditions were released by Saturday afternoon.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said his agency was opening an investigation, but it wasn't clear whether any of its staff would be sent to the crash site.
He said the plane was attempting to take off. Whether it got off the ground is one of the first issues the NTSB will try to determine, Holloway said.
Last Wish says on its website that it charges $400 or more to scatter ashes over favorite places of the deceased.
The flights include a pilot and a witness. In some cases, a family member of the departed can go.
On the site, pilot Bill Fallon says there are conditions to that, though: "This can be a very emotional time, and safety is always our concern, so if the 'pilot in command' feels that a passenger can safely come along we will certainly accommodate your wishes at no additional charge."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
