Pilot, passenger from Virginia identified as victims in MacArthur Airport crash
The National Transportation Safety Board says an investigator will likely be at MacArthur Airport today to begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft.
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Police say two men have died following a plane crash at MacArthur Airport on Monday.
According to officials, the men have been identified as pilot Christopher Kucera, 46, and Zachary Hatcher, 43, both of Virginia.
Chris's brother Michael Kucera said Chris and Zachary were partners who loved hosting events at their historic farm in Virginia.
He described Chris as a "phenomenal" brother and uncle.
He said Chris and Zachary had been on Long Island visiting friends and that they went there at least once a year. He said his brother is a "hero" who saved lives by turning the plane back to the airstrip.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Aaron McCarter, with the National Transportation Safety Board, said three "credible witnesses" reported the same thing: They saw the plane take off and everything appeared to be normal until they heard popping and sputtering.
One witness said the engine stopped producing power at that point.
They were 100-150 feet in the air when the plane nosedived, McCarter said.
The agency confirms that at 6:10 p.m. a Beech A-36 plane crashed just off the departure end of the runway during takeoff from the Islip airport.
Suffolk police say the single engine plane had taken off from runway six and tried to return minutes later. It isn't clear why they quickly tried to return to the runway. The National Transportation Safety Board said their full investigation could take months.
The FAA released a preliminary statement saying: "A single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza A36 crashed near the end of the runway at Long Island Mac Arthur Airport in New York around 6 p.m. local time on Monday, July 22. Two people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates."
Travelers like Gail Boyd from North Babylon were puzzled by the details.
She explained, "something went wrong immediately and they knew it if they turned around and tried to land and solve it. I feel really sorry for those souls."
Flights both coming and going from MacArthur Airport Tuesday morning were impacted. Runway six is closed until NTSB completes its investigation. Runway 15R/33L is operational. The list of cancellations and delays continues to grow and many passengers say they received no notice.
"I looked up the flight status and it didn't say cancelled, you know, on the website or else I wouldn't have came," shared Donna Darragh who is trying to get back to Glens Falls after visiting with family on Long Island.
The plane was removed from the runway Tuesday evening. It had been closed since Monday's crash, causing cancellations at the Suffolk County airport.
