Dog survives Long Island plane crash that killed 2 people

SOUTHOLD, N.Y. — Authorities say a small plane crashed Saturday morning in Long Island, New York, killing the man and woman on board.

A dog on the plane, however, survived, said Southold police Chief Martin Flately.

The Federal Aviation Authority said in a statement that the single-engine Beechcraft A36 plane crashed in Southold around 9:15 a.m. The names of the two victims were not immediately released.

Flately said the aircraft was flying from Long Island’s MacArthur Airport to New Bedford, Massachusetts, when it experienced “some type of mechanical failure” and crashed.

Kenneth Cooper, of Wading River, told Newsday he was driving when he saw the plane flying north at too low an altitude and realized it might be in trouble.

“About a quarter-mile in front of me, the plane came out of the sky at a very sharp angle, banked to the left. Within 40 seconds I saw this giant plume of black smoke,” he told the newspaper.

The plane stayed aloft long enough to miss homes, Cooper added. “The person who was driving the plane obviously cared about the residents and put it down as best he could in the safest place possible,” he said.

Newsday reported the plane crashed in a field at the Harbes Family Farm, which is open to the public for produce sales and family activities, according to the farm’s website. Newsday said the dog was taken in by a farmer.

The FAA says it will investigate the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

TNS contributed to this story.