4 killed when Montauk-bound plane crashes
Various police and fire agencies work at the nearby wreckage site of a small plane crash in Armonk, N.Y. Officials say a small plane crashed about a mile north of a suburban airport north of New York City, bursting into flames and killing four people on board. (June 18, 2011) Credit: AP
A Montauk-bound plane crashed in Westchester Saturday afternoon, catching fire and killing all four people aboard, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known, and investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board were on the case, said FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker.
The Cessna 210 plane had taken off from Westchester County Airport at about 1 p.m., Baker said. Soon after takeoff, the pilot radioed to air traffic controllers that he needed to return to the airport.
"No reason was stated," Baker said of the pilot's communication.
The plane crashed within a mile of the airport in a wooded area, Baker said.
Airport spokesman Steve Ferguson said the plane was based at Panorama Flight Service, in White Plains, The Associated Press reported.
According to FAA records, the fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft is registered to Wein-Air Aviation Ltd. of Wilmington, Del. Calls to the firm weren't immediately returned.
