Small plane crashes in Melville, Long Island
A sky-typing plane crashed in a wooded area of Long Island on Wednesday afternoon, killing the pilot, authorities said.
The SNJ-2 plane — which had the words “U.S.S. Intrepid” on the fuselage, and was part of the Geico sky-typing and air show team — was one of several flying in formation shortly before it plummeted from the sky just off Northcote Drive in Melville around 1:55 p.m., officials said.
The “propeller-type” plane appeared to break into pieces before it hit the ground, according to a spokeswoman for the Town of Huntington.
A photo posted on Twitter showed emergency responders working to extinguish the flaming wreckage, with the plane’s red-and-white striped tail visible in the smoke.
Officials confirmed one fatality — with sources adding that the victim was the pilot, the only person aboard the plane.
The pilot’s identity wasn’t immediately released.
It remains unclear what caused the craft to go down.
A message left with the Farmingdale, LI-based Geico Skytypers wasn’t immediately returned.
Messages left for The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum also went unanswered, and it’s not clear if or how the plane was affiliated with the Manhattan military museum.