Small Plane Crashes on Long Island Street, 2 Hurt
Passengers were airlifted to a hospital, with both expected to survive.
— -- Two men escaped with their lives after a plane in which they were flying crash-landed in a Long Island, New York, neighborhood Sunday evening.
The crash happened just after 7 p.m., officials say, when the pilot lost power shortly after takeoff from a nearby airport and was circling back as the engine went out and the plane crashed at an intersection in Bayport.
Bayport Fire Department immediately arrived to the fiery scene.
"In an unbelievable display of heroism, [they] were able to take the pilot and the passenger out of the plane," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said.
The pilot, 35-year-old Scott Clifford, suffered a head injury and two broken legs and was in serious condition. The passenger, 65-year-old Mike Rolm, suffered head injuries. Both were admitted to a hospital. Rolm's injuries are not considered serious, officials told ABC station WABC-TV in New York.
The mangled plane managed to avoid any of the surrounding homes.
"This is nothing short of a miracle, both that the airplane did not hit any houses and any other individuals," Commissioner Sini said. "We're talking about a Sunday evening at 7, clearly people could be out and about."
Officials say the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, and the National Transportation Safety Board is working to determine the cause of the crash.
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