A single-engine seaplane crashed on top of a concrete pier in Queens, killing a female passenger and sending the pilot and another passeng...
A single-engine seaplane crashed on top of a concrete pier in Queens, killing a female passenger and sending the pilot and another passenger to the hospital with serious injuries, New York authorities said.
During a news conference, New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the plane skipped twice on the water of Long Island Sound as it attempted to land around 3pm on Sunday.
The plane broke in pieces after crashing on a pier at Riverside Drive and 158th Street.
Authorities identified the woman, who died at the scene, as 61-year-old Maggie O'Neill, according to NBC.
The pilot was identified as Giuseppe Oppedisano, 61, the owner of a Queens restaurant Il Bacco.
The other passenger has only been identified as a 66-year-old man. Both men remained in critical condition as of Sunday night.
Witnesses said the plane was traveling fast when it skipped on the water and hit the pier, Nigro said.
'Why it happened, we have no idea,' he said.
A single-engine seaplane crashed (pictured) on top of a concrete pier in Queens, killing 61-year-old Maggie O'Neill
During a news conference, New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the plane skipped twice on the water of Long Island Sound as it attempted to land around 3pm on Sunday
Someone riding a personal watercraft saw the crash and removed two men from the wreckage, Nigro said.
'I just hopped the fence, I ran over, I ripped the windshield out and pulled one of the guys out,' said Jarrett Schupak, who was treated for minor injuries after rushing to help.
Firefighters removed O'Neill from the wreckage.
First responders at the scene after the plane crashed Sunday afternoon in Queens
The plane broke in pieces after crashing on a pier at Riverside Drive and 158th Street. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane is a single-engine Cessna 182
The FAA will release aircraft registration information after investigators confirm it at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating but will not travel to the crash site
Schupak and two other bystanders were treated for minor injuries at the scene but refused further medical attention, Nigro said.
The pilot is a local resident who flies often from a hangar on the water behind his home, Nigro said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane is a single-engine Cessna 182.
The FAA will release aircraft registration information after investigators confirm it at the scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating but will not travel to the crash site.