2 killed when small plane crashes after takeoff from Long Island airport

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — A small plane crashed shortly after takeoff on New York's Long Island, killing both people who were on board, authorities said.

The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza A36 took off from MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma at about 6:15 p.m. Monday and crashed after the pilot tried to return to the runway, Suffolk County police said in a news release.

Pilot Christopher Kucera, 46, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and passenger Zachary Hatcher, 43, of King George, Virginia, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The two men were the only people on board the aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.