1 Dead, 1 Seriously Injured When Plane Crashes on N.Y. Highway: 'It's Hard to Imagine Him Not Being Here'

Mar. 15, 2025

Plane crash in Westchester County, New York, United States on December 12, 2024.Photo:Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Flight instructor Yankele Friedman, 32, was killed. The second passenger, Kalmen Goldberger, 26, remains in serious condition, perCBS News. No one on the ground was hurt.

The plane departed from Linden, N.J., and was en route to the Westchester County Airport in West Harrison, N.Y. Friedman reported the aircraft started having engine issues while it was heading to the airport. The single-engine Tecnam P2008 airplane then crashed on I-684 around 6:35 p.m.

The NTSB, FAA, and New York State Police all arrived at the scene. Each agency is investigating the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.

After the crash, N.Y. Governor Kathy Hochul said in anX (formerly known as Twitter) postthat the crash had “caused an aviation gas spill.” She confirmed the Department of Environmental Conservation was working to clean the spill up and the road was closed in both directions.

Plane crash in Westchester County, New York, United States on December 12, 2024.Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Friedman’s brother Joshua said the other passenger was hospitalized. “I don’t know if he still is. I know that people were talking to him, and he was fine. So, that’s good news,” per CBS News.

Friedman offered private flight lessons to people who speak Yiddish, per CBS News. “He loved to take people flying. He would take everybody flying, close friends, everybody. He was extremely, extremely cautious pilot,” his brother said. “Always used to explain everything and go over every, single detail on how many extra steps he would take about being cautious.”

“It’s hard to imagine him not being here,” Joshua toldNews 12.

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A representative for the New York State Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.

source: people.com