LIRR: Service restored following small plane crash

Crews restored service on a stretch of the Long Island Rail Road after a small plane crashed on the tracks in Bethpage Sunday morning, killing one person. Service had been suspended since shortly before

News 12 Staff

Aug 17, 2015, 5:10 AM

Updated 3,339 days ago

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Crews restored service on a stretch of the Long Island Rail Road after a small plane crashed on the tracks in Bethpage Sunday morning, killing one person.
Service had been suspended since shortly before 8 a.m. between Farmingdale and Hicksville when the single-engine plane went down on the tracks. Officials said a passenger in the plane survived, but the pilot was killed.
The MTA said commuters should expect a normal commute Monday morning on the Ronkonkoma Branch.
LIRR spokesman Sal Arena said LIRR crews got access to the tracks late Sunday afternoon, after waiting for the NTSB and medical examiner to investigate the scene.
Earlier, Arena said the wreckage had been cleared from the tracks, but crews had to replace a section of rail and also work on a crossing gate that was damaged by the plane.
After the repairs, crews had to perform electrical work and testing.
Commuters had been urged to take the Montauk or Port Jefferson lines while service was suspended. The MTA had also been providing buses.