Associated Press, Aug 16
HICKSVILLE, N.Y. — A small, single-engine plane crashed on to a Long Island railroad crossing on Sunday morning, killing one person, injuring another and shutting down service on a branch of a busy commuter rail line, officials said.
The plane crashed with two people on board at the railway crossing between the Hicksville and Bethpage stations of the Long Island Rail Road around 7:45 a.m., authorities said. Their names were not immediately released.
Nobody on the ground was hurt.
The impact left a mess of parts on the tracks, "just a pile of metal that was burning," said Hicksville Fire Department First Assistant Chief Richard Diaz. He said one of the wings had been torn off, and the other mangled with the body of the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Hawker Beechcraft BE35 had departed from Francis Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach. The pilot reported an issue and was trying to get to Republic Airport in Farmingdale at the time of the crash, according to the FAA. The craft crashed about three miles northwest of Republic.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Salvatore Arena said LIRR service on the Ronkonkoma branch had been suspended in both directions. He said the track would be assessed for damage once the plane had been removed.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board would determine the cause of the crash.
It looks like the wingtip might be in contact with the 3rd rail.
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