Authorities are investigating why a small single-engine plane crashed onto Long Island Rail Road tracks in Hicksville, killing one and seriously injuring a second person on board on Sunday morning, officials said.
The pilot of a Hawker Beechcraft BE35 departed from Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach when the pilot reported a problem to air traffic controllers shortly before the aircraft crashed on the tracks near the Oyster Bay Road crossing at 7:45 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The pilot, who was reportedly heading to Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey, was trying to land at Republic Airport in Farmingdale—three miles from the crash scene—when then plane went down.
The survivor was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment. No one on the ground was injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which sent a representative to the scene, is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash along with the FAA. MTA police and Nassau County police responded to the scene.
The LIRR partially suspended train service on the Ronkonkoma Branch between Hicksville and Farmingdale while investigators were on the scene. Once the debris was cleared, LIRR crews repaired the tracks and a grade crossing stanchion. Train service was fully restored 14 hours later.
