Seaplane Crashes In New York, One Dead. Investigators Search For Answers.

Photo courtesy of New York Fire Department’s Facebook Page

A passenger was killed when A Cessna 182 crashed into a concrete reinforced pier near the Throgs Neck Bridge in Queens, New York, on Sunday. Two others were seriously injured. The New York Fire Department reported that a 60-year-old woman died at the scene, and the two other occupants were taken to a local hospital in critical condition. A Good Samaritan on a personal watercraft also received minor injuries but was treated at the scene.

Photo courtesy of New York Fire Department's Facebook Page

Witness reports paint a confusing picture of what happened. As has been widely reported, one witness said that the plane appeared to be skipping on the water before it crashed into the pier at what must have been a high rate of speed. It is not known whether the plane was taking off, landing or doing a touch-and-go, though reports that the flight was returning from a lunch trip to Maine, it's more likely that they were landing when things went horribly wrong.

The pilot, who was one of the occupants critically injured, was reportedly a local resident who had a hangar nearby and is well known to locals.

The NTSB and FAA are investigating.

Photos courtesy of New York Fire Department's Facebook Page.