One person was killed and two were seriously injured when a seaplane crashed into a concrete pillar in Whitestone, Queens, on Sunday, fire officials said.
The small, single-engine Cessna, Powells Cove Boulevard and west of the Throgs Neck Bridge near 158th Street crashed around 3 p.m., New York City Fire Department officials said.
“Witnesses said the plane was traveling faster than water, leaving twice and crashing into the pier,” Fire Commissioner Daniel Negro said at a news conference. He said the plane was “shattered.”
The jet skier who witnessed the crash helped rescue the two survivors. A third person was removed by fire department personnel.
Two others, including a jet skier, sustained injuries but were treated on the spot.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, but Commissioner Negro said the Federal Aviation Administration will soon arrive at the scene for an investigation. The FAA did not immediately respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash but would not travel to the scene.
Fire department officials did not identify the victims, but Commissioner Negro said the pilot was “a local resident” known to many in the neighborhood who “frequently fly here.” The plane is usually parked nearby, in the back hangar of the pilot’s home, he said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio Tweet details About the accident on Sunday, he added, “Please keep these people and their families in your thoughts tonight.”
