Monday, October 18, 2010

Plane Crash on Long Island Kills One


A small, single-engine airplane apparently attempting an emergency landing crashed on a Long Island street Sunday, killing one passenger and seriously injuring the pilot and two other occupants, authorities said.
The cause of the 9 a.m. crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, but Suffolk County police believe the pilot was trying to land the aircraft on East Carmans Road in East Farmingdale after experiencing engine failure.
The 1969 Marchetti propeller plane had taken off from Republic Airport and was rounding back toward the runway for a practice landing—a touch-and-go maneuver where the pilot allows the landing gear to touch the tarmac and immediately lifts off again, FAA spokesman Jim Peters said.
Less than a mile from the runway, the pilot requested permission from the control tower for a low approach, Mr. Peters said. The controller asked the pilot, identified as Gus Halouvas, if there was anything wrong but Mr. Halouvas gave no indication of trouble.
"There was no mayday, no distress call," Mr. Peters said.
It was then that the engine apparently gave out and the plane clipped a tree and a fence before striking four parked cars and crashing, sending debris onto a nearby lawn, police said.
"Two seconds felt like a whole hour-long movie," said Robert Arroyo, 54, who witnessed the crash through his window while smoking a cigarette. Mr. Arroyo and several passersby removed the occupants from the airplane, at one point using a knife to cut a jammed seatbelt off a victim.
Mr. Arroyo said fuel was gushing from the craft and his concern was to get the occupants out, fearing a fire would ignite. Police said when rescuers arrived, the victims were out of the plane and firefighters doused the leaking fuel with fire-retardant foam.
Christina Guardado, 29, who lives on East Carmans Road, said the plane crash produced a "crazy noise, tons of banging."
"After it stopped, everything was silent," she said.
Relatives said the four men, who had formed a bond over a passion for flying, were returning from their usual Sunday routine—taking brunch at a café inside a small Duchess County airport roughly 100 miles from Republic Airport.
The trip to the Perfect Landing Café in was usually made in Ed Cerverizzo's small aircraft or, as was the case this Sunday, in the airplane owned by his buddy and fellow pilot, Mr. Halouvas.
Relatives said the group had likely taken advantage of the clear conditions practice landing and taking off.
Mr. Cerverizzo, 75, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Massapequa, where he was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m., police said. Mr. Halouvas, 55, was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow with spinal injuries. Passenger William Mancusi, 83, was taken to the same hospital, where he was treated for cuts to his face.
Charles Bianculli, 61, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where was listed in critical condition, police said.
"I'm not surprised they were practicing," said Mike Cerverizzo, Mr. Cerverizzo's son. "It was a nice, nice day. Good day to practice touch and goes."
The four men were known at the café, situated in Sky Acres Airport in Lagrangeville, N.Y., coming in every Sunday for brunch at the popular hangout for airmen.
Cindy Anderson, 52, the owner of the café, described them as "very friendly" men who sat at the same table on every visit. "This is really sad," she said. "Those…guys were here every single Sunday."
Mr. Cerverizzo was a licensed pilot for more than 30 years and kept a small plane at Republic Airport, his family said. He started a family business installing fences and passed it on to his son and was meticulous about safety.
"If there's one thing my dad was, he was Mr. Safety," said Mike Cerverizzo, 47. "You couldn't get into his plane without the safety lecture."
He was still energetic at 75, finding it difficult to stay still during retirement. "He was the kind of guy who would say I'm taking the day off and go into work with sneakers on, just a fair honest man," his son said.
His daughter, Margaret Cerverizzo, 49, said: "He loved [flying], so if he had to die in any way, this is what he'd want."
The FAA spokesman said his agency was gathering facts on Sunday but because of the fatality and serious injuries, the National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation.

No comments:

Post a Comment