The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.



Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Teterboro, New Jersey



Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf



Location: Poughkeepsie, NY

Accident Number: ERA19LA231

Date & Time: 07/19/2019, 1440 EDT

Registration: N811SK

Aircraft: Piper PA46

Injuries: 3 Serious, 1 Minor

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal





On July 19, 2019, about 1440 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA46-310P, N811SK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing while on approach to Hudson Valley Regional Airport (POU), Poughkeepsie, New York. The private pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Akron-Fulton International Airport (AKR), Akron, Ohio, about 1248. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The personal flight was originally destined for North Central State Airport (SFZ), Pawtucket, Rhode Island.





Preliminary radar and voice communication data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the airplane departed AKR, and about 25 minutes later had climbed to 19,000 ft, where it remained in cruise flight for about 1 hour and 10 minutes on a heading between 080 and 085°. At 1428:21, the pilot requested a diversion from his filed destination to POU to utilize a restroom. The Boston air route traffic control center controller approved the diversion to POU and issued altitude and heading clearances. About 1432, the radar target identified as the accident airplane had descended to 13,200 ft, where it turned slightly right and tracked directly toward POU.





At 1433:38, the airplane was located 2 miles west of POU, about 12,000 ft, and in communication with the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control when the pilot stated, "…we are getting a ah fuel emergency light at this time so ah just want to expedite our approach in there." The controller acknowledged the low fuel warning and cleared the airplane to descend from its assigned altitude of 6,000 ft to 3,000 ft. The airplane crossed directly over POU at 11,700 ft and continued its easterly heading.





At 1435:37, the airplane was about 5 miles east of POU at 8,100 ft, when the pilot requested a turn back to the airport.





At 1435:46, the controller advised a direct turn back at "your discretion," and 2 minutes later cleared the airplane for a visual approach.





At 1436:32, the airplane was at an altitude of 6,300 ft and about halfway through the course reversal back to POU, which was 7.4 miles to the west. Sky Acres Airport (44N), Lagrangeville, New York was 3.7 miles directly in front of the airplane at that time.





After completing the course reversal, the airplane tracked parallel to its eastbound track on a westerly heading.





At 1437:46, about 5 miles northeast of POU at 3,550 ft, the pilot advised the POU tower controller that he was performing a visual approach to runway 24.





At 1438:44, 2 miles northeast of the airport about 1,500 ft, the airplane turned towards POU as it intercepted the inbound course to the landing runway.





At 1439:32, the tower controller advised the airplane that its landing gear appeared to be retracted. The pilot responded, "we are too low we are not going to make it."





There were no further communications with the airplane, and the final radar target was depicted at 350 ft about .75 miles from the landing runway which was at 163 ft elevation.





The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, multiengine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued May 15, 2019 and he reported 1,300 total hours of flight experience on that date.





At 1453, the weather recorded at POU included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, wind from 220° at 8 knots, gusting to 15 knots, temperature 3°C, dew point 23°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.82 inches of mercury.





Initial examination of the airplane at the accident site was performed by an FAA inspector. The airplane came to rest upright among trees and brush. The was no evidence of fuel, no fuel spillage, and no odor of fuel. The location of the wreckage precluded further examination at the accident site.





Examination of photographs provided by the sheriff's department revealed the airplane's right wing displayed significant impact damage, was separated at its root, and came to rest immediately adjacent to the fuselage. The left wing appeared attached and largely intact.





Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information





Aircraft Make: Piper

Registration: N811SK

Model/Series: PA46 310P

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Amateur Built: No

Operator: On file

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None





Meteorological Information and Flight Plan





Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: KPOU, 163 ft msl

Observation Time: 1453 EDT

Distance from Accident Site: 5 Nautical Miles

Temperature/Dew Point: 33°C / 23°C

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots / 15 knots, 220°

Lowest Ceiling: None

Visibility: 10 Miles

Altimeter Setting: 29.82 inches Hg

Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR

Departure Point: Akron, OH (AKR)

Destination: Poughkeepsie, NY (POU)





Wreckage and Impact Information





Crew Injuries: 1 Serious

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries: 2 Serious, 1 Minor

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries:N/A

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 3 Serious, 1 Minor

Latitude, Longitude: 41.626667, -73.884167 (est)

From left, Associated Aircraft Group pilot Mike Wright, with aircraft technicians, Nick Pacifico and Thomas Lewis at Hudson Valley Regional Airport on July 24, 2019. While on a test flight in the Sikorsky S-76 pictured Wright discovered the aircraft that crashed near the airport on Friday. Lewis and Pacifico stayed with the injured occupants until first responders arrived.





Kneeling inside the cockpit of the wrecked plane, the temperature felt like it was 120 degrees, Nicholas Pacifico said.





He was attempting to stabilize the neck and body of the 50-year-old pilot, David Scott, who had crashed into a wooded area of Wappinger with his family on board.





Scott was bleeding, and unconscious. His daughter, Jocelyn, had just told Pacifico that she couldn’t move her legs. She watched as Pacifico held her father.





“I just try and comfort the daughter and have a conversation,” said Pacifico, who, along with his helicopter crew, located the Scott family Friday. “I ask what her name is and she asked what my name was. I asked her age and if she’s going to college, stuff like that to make conversation to get her mind off what just happened because, you know, it’s stuff you see in the movies but when you see it in person, it’s just completely different."





Outside the plane, Thomas Lewis stood with David Scott’s wife, Tara, and their son, Ryan, while they waited for emergency medical assistance to arrive.





This was supposed to be an uneventful Friday. And Pacifico and Lewis were not supposed to be playing the role of de facto first responders.





They’re helicopter mechanics, who were about 10 minutes away from the end of their day when Hudson Valley Regional Airport received a distress call and requested their help. In fact, they may have already been able to head home, except the start of their final test flight was delayed.





"I felt like we were there for a reason," Pacifico said. "We were meant to go on that test flight at that time because we were supposed to go earlier but we had to wait for the pilot to come in. So, it was just the right place at the right time."





Together, Pacifico, Lewis and pilot Mike Wright located the crash and directed first responders to reach the family through dense vegetation that hid the plane. The four victims were all taken to local hospitals and are “focusing on recovery," according to Lt. Shawn Castano of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.





"Everything is kind of like a blur as soon as we jumped out of the aircraft, for the most part," said Lewis, a 35-year-old Hopewell Junction resident. "We just started running and from that point on, I don't know. It was a lot."





The trio work for the Wappingers Falls-based Associated Aircraft Group, an “executive helicopter company,” owned by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.





"We are not a search and rescue company, we have helicopters that we rent out," Pacifico said. "We are basically business helicopters for wealthy people if they want to commute and take a helicopter, we will provide that helicopter service for them."





However, each man was able to lean on previous training. Pacifico is a six-year Air Force veteran, serving two tours in Afghanistan. Lewis was a former New Hackensack volunteer firefighter. And Wright spent 21 years in the Army, flying more than 4,000 hours in combat operations, as well as search and rescue missions and combat operations as a military contractor after retirement.













From left, Associated Aircraft Group pilot Mike Wright, with aircraft technicians, Nick Pacifico and Thomas Lewis at Hudson Valley Regional Airport on July 24, 2019. While on a test flight in the Sikorsky S-76 pictured Wright discovered the aircraft that crashed near the airport on Friday. Lewis and Pacifico stayed with the injured occupants until first responders arrived.

‘If you move them then you can do more harm’





“Collectively, there’s a lot of experience there,” said Eric Schnaible, spokesperson for Sikorsky. “We’re proud of our AAG aircrew and maintainers. Their support of the Hudson Valley community and their experience were able to assist local authorities following the mishap on Friday.”





The final “ground run” of the day for the helicopter crew at Hudson Valley Regional Airport was supposed to be a hover test. The trio began it around 2:30 p.m.





"That's when they asked us if we could put (the helicopter) down because an aircraft had put in an emergency landing (call)," Lewis said. "We put it down. Probably two minutes after that is when they got the call that the aircraft went down."





Someone in the control tower at the airport asked Wright if they could help search for the plane. First responders were unable to find the plane, as it was not giving off smoke in the middle of the woods. Pacifico said the pilot didn't hesitate.





"We take off, and we start circling the woods, the area where we think they may have crashed," Pacifico said. "We are looking for them and maybe 10 minutes goes by and I see a woman in a blue shirt waving her arms. She’s in the middle of the woods. I’m like 'Okay, that’s weird.'"





The scene, he said, was “straight out of a movie.” Pieces of the white aircraft were scattered on the ground and in the trees.





Wright landed about 200 yards from the crash site — less than two miles from the airport — and let Lewis and Pacifico out. Wright elevated again and hovered over the crash to guide them to the spot.





The mechanics ran through heavy brush and grass that they said was about seven feet tall, following the sound of the helicopter. They found Tara Scott speaking to her family inside the plane. Its wings were ripped off and wedged against a tree at a 45-degree angle, Pacifico said.





"I stick my head in the airplane and what I see was pretty horrific," Pacifico said. "I see blood, I see two males in the cockpit, one was laying on another and it turns out it was the father laying on the son. The son was holding his father. Out of the corner of my eye, I see another body in the cabin and it was the daughter. As I see her, she is staring at me."





Ryan Scott told Pacifico that he was okay but that he was stuck and that his father was bleeding. Pacifico said he asked Ryan to get out of the plane, with the help of Lewis, while he stabilized David Scott's neck and put pressure on his wounds.





“I’ve had a lot of training in self-aid, first-aid and stuff like that," Pacifico said. "I knew the most important things to do was to immobilize the neck and back as much as I could, keep pressure on the bleeding... I didn’t want to move either of them because if they broke their back or broke their neck, if you move them then you can do more harm. That’s why I waited for professionals to arrive."





Meanwhile, Wright had flown off to direct responders to the site.





After around 30 minutes, Pacifico said emergency medical technicians arrived. He helped them remove Jocelyn, putting her in a neck brace and onto a backboard. He returned to the plane to help remove David, after firefighters used a chainsaw to remove a tree blocking the door of the plane to safely remove him.





"It was really hot that day and you’re stuck in this tube with body heat in the sun," Pacifico said. The high in Poughkeepsie was 93 degrees Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Albany, with a heat index of 103. " I think that took a toll on the pilot too, with that heat, being unconscious and everything. It wasn’t good."





From left, Associated Aircraft Group aircraft technicians, Thomas Lewis and Nick Pacifico with pilot Mike Wright at Hudson Valley Regional Airport on July 24, 2019. While on a test flight in the Sikorsky S-76 pictured Wright discovered the aircraft that crashed near the airport on Friday. Lewis and Pacifico stayed with the injured occupants until first responders arrived.









Flight bound for Rhode Island





The Federal Aviation Administration and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the crash.





The private, single-engine plane, a Piper PA 46, took off from Ohio Friday heading to Rhode Island, but it was forced to make an emergency landing as it was low on fuel. The plane wrecked near Maloney Road and Smith Crossing Road.





"If worse came to worst, the plane could have exploded when they first hit the ground and thank God it didn’t," Pacifico said. "It was clean, there was no fuel, spark, smoke or anything. It was just a complete catastrophe."





One day after the crash, the four victims were identified not only as a family from Ohio, but the "extended family" of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the Congressman said in a statement.





David Scott was flown to Westchester Medical Center via helicopter in critical condition.





Ryan Scott, 17, suffered a back injury and was transported out of the woods to an ambulance on a stretcher, according to Colleen Pillus, communications director for the Dutchess County Executive's Office.





Tara Scott, 50, and Jocelyn Scott, 20, suffered only "minor" injuries, Pillus told the Journal on Friday. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said two were taken to Vassar Brothers Medical Center and one was transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital. An update to their condition was not available on Tuesday.





Multiple fire, law enforcement and medical agencies responded to the scene, fighting soaring temperatures to complete the rescue.





Once their help was no longer needed, Pacifico said he and Lewis walked back the way they came to process everything that had just took place.





He said he is thankful for all the emergency response agencies who were involved in the rescue.





"What they do is beyond incredible," he said. "They are true everyday heroes. They see this kind of stuff everyday. I hope the family can heal and get past this as a family and fully recover."





Story and video ➤ https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com













A pilot and three passengers took off from Ohio in a private plane on Friday with plans of visiting Rhode Island.





Somewhere along the way, they learned they were low on fuel.





The pilot planned to make an emergency landing at Hudson Valley Regional Airport in Wappinger.





They couldn’t make it. The plane crashed less than 2 miles away, in a wooded area near Maloney Road and Smith Crossing Road.





But, all four were found alive, and taken to hospitals.





That’s according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, which was one of many law enforcement, fire and medical agencies that responded to the wreck Friday. The location of the plane, as well as soaring temperatures, made the search difficult, authorities said, but three of the four on the plane survived without serious injury.





The crash was first reported at 2:40 p.m., according to Sheriff’s Office Lt. Shawn Castano. The incident forced a portion of Maloney Road, near its intersection with New Hackensack Road, to be closed, and caused a commotion among local residents.





The pilot, a 50-year-old man, was the last to be removed from the plane. Found in critical condition, he was taken to Westchester Medical Center via a helicopter that landed at the airport around 4 p.m.





That’s according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, which was one of many law enforcement, fire and medical agencies that responded to the wreck Friday. The location of the plane, as well as soaring temperatures, made the search difficult, authorities said, but three of the four on the plane survived without serious injury.





The crash was first reported at 2:40 p.m., according to Sheriff’s Office Lt. Shawn Castano. The incident forced a portion of Maloney Road, near its intersection with New Hackensack Road, to be closed, and caused a commotion among local residents.





The pilot, a 50-year-old man, was the last to be removed from the plane. Found in critical condition, he was taken to Westchester Medical Center via a helicopter that landed at the airport around 4 p.m.





Though the single-engine plane crashed, it did not ignite in fire and it did not give off smoke, which Castano said made finding it a challenge. A helicopter spotted the plane from above.





Heat was a factor in the responders' search. The thermometer reached 93 degrees in Poughkeepsie, according to the National Weather Service in Albany, with a heat index of 103. Many by the end of the search were drenched in sweat and cooling off in the back of cars. Firefighters distributed bottles of water from a bucket being passed around.





The crash occurred around the corner from the New Hackensack Plaza, where several businesses and restaurants were open Friday.





Peter Sinapi, one of the operators of Sinapi’s Pizza, Pasta & More in the plaza, said he didn’t see the crash, though he witnessed emergency responders dashing to the scene on Route 376.





“I saw a lot of ATVs and off-road vehicles, and saw them bringing the Jaws of Life,” Sinapi said. “I didn’t see the plane go down, but saw a ton of police and fire response.”





Traffic on Route 376 also became an issue, according to Geoffrey MacKenzie of nearby Dutchess BBQ. But, he said it was cleared as of 5:30 p.m. By then, many of the responders' vehicles, which lined Maloney Road earlier in the day, had left the area.





New Hackensack, Hughsonville and LaGrange fire departments, state police and the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office were among the responding agencies, in addition to Hudson Valley Regional Airport's rescue team and EmStar ambulance.





“Their dedication to duty and fast action undoubtedly averted further complications at the crash site," Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said in a statement thanking the responders. "The swift response is all the more remarkable given today’s oppressive weather, but this serves as a reminder of the devoted men and women of Dutchess County’s first responder community and their commitment to their neighbors’ safety. We appreciate the service of all involved in the search and rescue efforts, and our thoughts are with the aircraft’s four passengers.”













Details, including the identities of the pilot and three passengers, have been released following a small plane crash with one critical injury in the area.





It happened at around 2:40 p.m. on Friday, July 19 about a mile away from the Hudson Valley Regional Airport. That's when the single-engine private plane crashed in a wooded area south of Maloney Road in the Town of Wappinger.





The Piper PA-46-310P Malibu was traveling from Ohio to Rhode Island when the pilot reported a low fuel emergency to flight control who then contacted the control tower at Hudson Valley Regional Airport, said Lt. Shawn A. Castano of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.





The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing but crashed about a mile and a half east of the airport, Castano said.





Rescue personnel located the crash site and off-road utility vehicles (UTV’s) from the Sheriff’s Office, State Police, New Hamburg Fire and East Fishkill Fire were deployed to transport personnel and equipment through the woods to the crash site.





The pilot, 50-year-old David Scott from Ohio, was extricated from the wreckage by firefighters. He was removed from the crash site by UTV and then transported to Westchester Medical Center by medevac helicopter due to his critical condition.





Scott’s passengers, 50-year-old Tara Scott, 20-year-old Jocelyn Scott and 17-year-old Ryan Scott, all residents of Ohio, were removed from the crash site and transported to local hospitals by ambulance. Their conditions have not been released.





“All of our first responders worked side by side under adverse conditions to locate and rescue the victims in this plane crash," Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian Anderson said.





The coordinated rescue operation included New Hackensack Fire, LaGrange Fire, Hughsonville Fire, East Fishkill Fire, New Hamburg Fire, EMStar, Mobile Life, Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, Dutchess County Department of Public Works, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, New York State Police and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.





The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration are continuing the investigation into the crash.





Original article can be found here ➤ https://dailyvoice.com





























































































































































WAPPINGERS FALLS, New York (WABC) -- Authorities are investigating after a small plane crashed less than a mile from an airport as it attempted to land Friday afternoon.





The incident was reported as the Piper PA-46-310P Malibu was on final approach into the Hudson Valley Regional Airport around 2:30 p.m., the FAA said.





The plane was traveling form Ohio to Rhode Island when the pilot reported a low fuel emergency. The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing but crashed near the airport, officials said.





The pilot, 50-year-old David Scott, was taken to Westchester Medical Center by helicopter in critical condition.





His passengers, 50-year-old Tara Scott, 20-year-old Jocelyn Scott and 17-year-old Ryan Scott were taken to the hospital by ambulance.





The conditions of the pilot and passengers are not known.





Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro released the following statement:





"We have been notified of a plane down east of the Hudson Valley Regional Airport with reported four passengers on board. The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response is on the scene assisting New Hackensack Fire Department. Our office is on scene and monitoring the situation to provide necessary assistance. The Department of Emergency Response will provide updates as soon as they are available."





The FAA will investigate.





Story and video ➤ https://abc7ny.com