NTSB Removes Plane From Scene Of Fatal Westhampton Beach Crash
WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Federal officials say they've removed the single-engine plane that crashed on Long Island last weekend, killing two people and injuring a third.
The National Transportation Safety Board says the plane has been transported to an undisclosed location where preliminary diagnostics will be conducted on the aircraft. Officials say the final report on the crash could take up to 18 months, Newsday reported.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Navion F aircraft was practicing takeoffs and landings when it crashed into trees near Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach at around 11:40 a.m. on Feb. 26.
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 third passenger and pilot of the plane, identified as aircraft owner and animal rights activist Richard Rosenthal, 61, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Rosenthal is currently hospitalized and cannot speak.
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.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
