A small airplane crashed near Westchester County Airport Thursday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and now a search-and-rescue operation is underway to find the aircraft and the two people who were on board.
The single-engine plane, a A36 Beechcraft Bonanza, took off from New York City’s JFK Airport just before 5 p.m. and was en route to Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, Ohio, the FAA said in a statement. The pilot reported having low oil pressure at 5:25 p.m., and then reported engine problems as the plane about a mile from Westchester County Airport.
Just minutes later, the airport in White Plains lost contact with the aircraft.
There were two people — the pilot and a passenger — on board the plane when it went down, sources told NBC New York. The FAA said local personnel were conducting search-and-rescue to find the airplane, which is still missing, as well as the two people on board.
The focus of the search was near the northern tip of Rye Lake, on Cooley Hill Road in Armonk. The plane may have crashed into or near a lake, in a heavily wooded area that was dark and rainy throughout the evening.
Government sources with direct knowledge of the incident said that the plane holds a maximum of six people. The tail number for the aircraft traces back to T&G Flying Club in Ohio.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.