NTSB Investigating Colonia Plane Crash That Killed Pilot, Destroyed 3 Homes
COLONIA, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – National Transportation Safety Board investigators will return today to the scene of a deadly small plane crash in New Jersey to determine what went wrong.
The pilot – the only person on board – was killed when his twin engine Cessna 414 plunged from the sky around 11 a.m. Tuesday, plummeting into a home in Colonia.
Black smoke and intense flames shot into the air from the house on Berkley Avenue. It was destroyed, along with two other homes next door.
“It was like a huge explosion. The whole house shook,” neighbor Jane Pagano told CBS2. “Everybody’s running out of their houses to see what it was.”
Watch: NTSB Briefing On Deadly Colonia Small Plane Crash
Neighbors watched in horror.
“The most terrifying part was thinking that someone could’ve been home,” said neighbor Amanda Krystofiak.
Fortunately, the family that lived there was not, but a woman next door had to escape just in time.
“Right now, thank god, nobody was hurt on the ground,” Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac said.
Watch: Woodbridge Township Mayor On Small Plane Crash
However, the pilot did not make it. His friend went to the scene when he heard the news and said the New York City cardiologist was an experienced pilot.
“Somebody texted me and said, ‘hey, that was Mike Schloss.’ And I was like, wow are you kidding me? It really is a shock,” said Thomas Madden.
Officials said he was on his way to Linden Airport after taking off from Leesburg Airport in Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. He was cleared for landing right before losing contact with air traffic control.
“We have no information that there was a distress call made from the pilot,” NTSB investigator Adam Gerhardt said.
Watch: CBS2’s Dan Rice On Weather Conditions During Crash
A Flight Aware flight path shows the plane stalled minutes before landing. It also indicates this was the plane’s third trip this week.
Meanwhile, crews spent the night in Colonia bulldozing the home to get to the plane inside and begin the investigation.
“It will be a piece-by-piece effort, and we expect it to take about two to three days. Given the weather conditions, it may take longer,” said Gerhardt.
The community will be holding a donation drive nearby this morning for the families of the three homes that were destroyed.
Woodbridge Township staff will be at the Evergreen Senior Center, located at 400 Inman Avenue in Colonia, on Oct. 30, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to receive donations. Checks payable to the Woodbridge Community Charity Fund and gift cards from established wholesale/retail outlets will be accepted.
In addition, one of the families who lost their home in the crash has set up a GoFundMe.
https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
October 30, 2019 at 03:15PM
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