Man dead after small plane crashes off Breezy Point, Queens, NYPD says
A small plane is found off the coast of Breezy Point, Queens on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Credit: NYPD Special Ops
At least one man was killed Wednesday night when a small plane crashed into the Atlantic off Breezy Point in Queens, NYPD officials said.
The body was found not long after debris was recovered about 1 1/2 miles off Breezy Point, at the western end of the Rockaway peninsula, police said. The victim had not been identified late Wednesday night.
Hours earlier, reports of a plane crashing were called into 911 operators, and rescuers were dispatched. A caller reported the debris was off Beach 215th Street and Breezy Point Boulevard.
An FAA spokeswoman said the NYPD notified the agency that several aircraft parts were found off the shore of Breezy Point on the western end of the Rockaway peninsula about 8:30 p.m. The agency initially said no planes in the area were reported missing.
Both the FAA and NYPD continue their investigation.
A photograph released via the NYPD Special Operations Division shows the tail, wing and what appears to be a part of the aircraft's fuselage floating in the water.
The FDNY also was on the scene, along with the NYPD's harbor and aviation units.
An NYPD spokesman said they received "reports of something going down in the water with lights on."
The NYPD Special Operations Division tweeted that dive teams will continue to collect and search for debris, and that the investigation would continue through the night. A spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard said the agency is standing by to assist the NYPD in its investigation.
