One person was killed and two others were seriously injured when a small, single-engine plane crashed in Long Island on Sunday, local and federal officials said.
Piper PA 28 crashed in North Lindenhurst, just short of its approach to Republic Airport in Farmingdale, about 3 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said. The airport is about 20 miles east of New York City.
At the time of the crash, only three people were on board. No injuries were reported on the field.
Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Shaffer said the plane crashed in an area of trees and brush.
“It crashed in a wooded area off the Long Island Railroad. It’s like a buffer running on rails,” he said.
Shaffer said he called a “mayday” over the radio before the plane crashed.
A police helicopter airlifted the two injured passengers to Stony Brook Hospital.
Photos shared on social media show black smoke billowing from the scene of the suspected crash behind houses in the suburban community.
The FAA and NTSB will conduct an investigation into the crash, including what caused the plane to go down.
Investigators are looking into a single-engine crash near Republic Airport in Farmingdale.