14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 12, 2012 in Shirley, NY
Aircraft: SOCATA TB 10, registration: N5542Z
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On August 19, 2011, about 1155 eastern daylight time, a Daher Socata TB10, N5542Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and a construction dumpster during a forced landing after takeoff from Brookhaven Calabro Airport (HWV), Shirley, New York. The certificated private pilot/owner and a passenger were fatally injured, and a pilot-rated passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to witnesses, their attention was drawn to the airplane during its takeoff roll. The pace was described as "slow" and "anemic" as the airplane used almost the entire length of the runway, which was 4,222 feet long, before it took off. They described the airplane as it climbed slowly to tree-top height, in a nose-high pitch attitude, and disappeared from view. Moments later, a large smoke plume appeared out of the trees a short distance beyond the airport boundary.
A witness who stood on his back porch, said the airplane appeared above the trees at the back border of his property, and that the sound of the engine was "really loud." The airplane descended over his back yard and below the height of his one-story house in a left 30-degree bank. The airplane then pitched up, climbed over the house, and struck a tree and a construction dumpster in front of the house, where it burst into flames. The witness then described his efforts to extinguish the fire and assist the occupants of the airplane.
Preliminary radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed the airplane climbed to 200 feet mean sea level (msl) and accelerated to 63 knots groundspeed before the radar target was lost in the vicinity of the crash site.
The pilot/owner held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on August 1, 2003. He reported 18 total hours of flight experience on that date.
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1991. More recently, the FAA issued a ferry permit on June 20, 2012, in order to relocate the airplane in order to perform an annual inspection and other maintenance at HWV. The mechanic who ferried the airplane stated that there was nothing wrong with the performance and handling of the airplane on the ferry flight to HWV.
The wreckage was examined at the accident site on August 20, 2012. The airplane was largely consumed by post-crash fire. Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to components identifiable with the flight control surfaces. The cockpit was severely damaged by fire. The engine was recovered from the scene and examined at HWV. The engine was rotated by hand and continuity, compression, and ignition spark were all confirmed.
Photo credit: Handout
David J. McElroy, 53, of Orient, owner of of the single-engine Socata TB10 and Jane Unhjem, 60, an assistant school superintendent from upstate Goshen were killed Sunday August 19, 2012.
Obituary: David J. McElroy
Visiting hours for David J. McElroy will take place Friday, August 24, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Bayport-Blue Point Funeral Home, 683 Montauk Highway in Bayport.
A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, August 25, at 10 a.m. at St. Lawrence R.C. Church on Montauk Highway in Sayville. Interment will follow.
Donations may be made to McElroy Children’s Fund, c/o Bridgehampton National Bank, P.O. Box 1567, Southold, NY 11971.
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
Jane Unhjem, right, a Goshen School District assistant superintendent, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday afternoon on Long Island. Unhjem's husband, Erik, left, was critically injured.
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BRIAN HARMON PHOTO
Chris Melendez and Kimberly Pastore, witnesses to the crash and its aftermath.
KAYLA CHIARAMONTE COURTESY PHOTO
Burning wreckage from the Shirley plane crash that took the life of David McElroy Sunday.
In his heart, Chris Melendez believes he and his neighbors are alive today because of a pilot’s quick thinking in the cockpit.
Mr. Melendez said he was just about to hop in the shower Sunday morning when he heard a thunderous crash outside his Helene Avenue home in Shirley. His fiancée, who had just pulled out of the driveway on her way to take his children to a petting zoo, phoned him frantically.
“She just kept yelling, ‘Get out of the house! Get out of the house!’” Mr. Melendez, 42, recalled a day later.
As he reached his front yard, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
A single-engine plane owned by David McElroy, a 53-year-old pilot from Orient, had taken off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport shortly after 11:30 a.m. before crashing into a dumpster right outside Mr. Melendez’ home a mile from the airport. As the Shirley resident began his sprint to the crash, the plane exploded.
“All I could see were 30-foot high flames,” Mr. Melendez said.
He grabbed a garden hose and immediately began spraying into the cockpit in an attempt to save Mr. McElroy, who was burning about four feet away, just out of reach.
“He reached out to me,” Mr. Melendez said. “Then I saw him take his last breath.”
Suffolk police confirmed Monday that Mr. McElroy, who FAA records show is the owner of the plane, died in the crash. The crash also killed passenger Jane Unhjem, 60, of Goshen, N.Y., who died eight hours later. Another person aboard the plane, Erik Unhjem, 61, was listed in critical condition at Stony Brook University Medical Center.
A licensed pilot, Erik Uhnjem was also in the cockpit when the plane crashed, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson told the media Monday.
It is not yet clear to investigators who was flying the plane at the time of the crash.
Mr. Melendez said he and his fiancée, who saw the plane touch ground, believe there would have been more victims if not for the pilot’s ability to navigate the plane away from the houses on their street.
Mr. Melendez said his fiancée, Kimberly Pastore, watched as the pilot steered away from high tension wires near their home. The plane then closely navigated around several homes before landing perilously in a dumpster on Mr. Melendez’ property line, 30 yards from his living room, he said.
Mr. Melendez added that if Mr. McElroy was flying the plane, he “paid with his life” to save others.
“I believe [the pilot] did everything he could to avoid hitting any houses,” Mr. Melendez said.
NTSB Investigator Brian Rayner said the engine of the Socata TB10 was in “surprisingly good shape” and will be examined further after removal from the aircraft.
Investigators do not know where the plane was headed, officials said.
Louie Cruz of Shirley was doing yard work when he heard what he thought was a car crash on William Floyd Parkway. He ran around the bend to see the fire and smoke from the plane crash, the second he’s witnessed in his Shirley neighborhood.
He said he saw his neighbors pulling the Unhjems from the plane. Like Mr. Melendez, he said Mr. McElroy couldn’t be reached.
“No one could get to him,” Mr. Cruz said. “He just burned right up.”
Mr. Melendez said he was forced to stay at his parents’ home nearby last night, as Helene Avenue remained closed outside his house. He was hoping to be let back into his home this afternoon.
He said he’s having a hard time shaking thoughts of Sunday’s crash from his head.
“I wish there was more I could do for [Mr. McElroy],” he said. “It was just horrible. I’ll never be able to forget him.”
Source: http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com
Friends remember Goshen educator's love for children
Jane Unhjem, assistant superintendent in Goshen, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday
Jane Unhjem, a Goshen School District assistant superintendent, died in a fiery plane crash Sunday afternoon on Long Island. A man believed to be the pilot also was killed in the crash, and Unhjem's husband, Erik, was critically injured.
Officials at Stony Brook University Hospital Medical Center said Jane Unhjem, 60, was declared dead at the hospital several hours after the plane plummeted into a residential street in Shirley, on eastern Long Island, at about noon. Erik Unhjem, 61, the sole survivor of the crash, was being treated for burns, hospital officials said.
People who knew Jane Unhjem through her civic activities offered heartfelt testimonials on Monday, breaking down with emotion at times as they described Unhjem as a selfless, sunny person who devoted herself to her community and inspired people who came in contact with her.
“She really had an incredible knack with and love for kids,” said Doris Obremski, president of the Rotary Club of Goshen, for which Unhjem coordinated an annual leadership program and international exchange program for students.
“She just had this warmth and smile,” Obremski recalled.
Lynn Cione, executive director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, called Unhjem “an exceptional human being” and “probably the most authentic person I ever met.”
“People were excited to be around her,” said Cione, who knew Unhjem through chamber events and other interactions. “There was always joy in her face and joy in her voice.”
“She was genuine,” Cione added. “What you saw was what you got. And what you got was all good.”
Grief counselors from the district and BOCES are available at the Goshen High School Monday for any staff members or students who need support, according to the district's website. The counselors will also be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21, and their time in the district will be extended if necessary. The website said Jane Unhjem is survived by her husband, Erik, her children, Gayle and Matthew, and her parents, Val and Ray Walesky. Services are unknown at this time.
“Jane was deeply loved and respected within our district and community, not only as an educator but as a friend,” Goshen Superintendent Daniel Connor said in a statement on the district's website. “She was a tremendous force in our district and the mark she has left will not soon fade. Words can't express how sorely she will be missed.”
The district website posted this description of Jane Unhjem: "Jane was a vibrant educator and leader with an infectious energy that affected everyone around her. She took tremendous pride in her work and her warmth and enthusiasm for learning was evident each and every day she spent at Goshen Schools. During her time with the district, she touched the lives of countless students, parents and faculty members. The entire Goshen community is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend."
Jane Unhjem, who lived with her husband in Goshen, had a long history as a leading mid-Hudson educator and worked in a number of local school districts, going back to the mid-1980s.
She was the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Goshen School District. She also served as director of staff development in the Monroe-Woodbury District, as assistant director of special education in the Pine Bush School District and as a special education teacher in Pine Bush. She also taught at Orange-Ulster BOCES.
In local education circles, Unhjem was known for encouraging students to become active members of their communities.
In November 2010, speaking at an assembly encouraging students to get involved in Rachel's Challenge, a program to counteract violence, she urged parents to get involved, saying, "Our parents are a powerful catalyst in the effort to increase kindness and positive behaviors in our students' everyday lives."
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the single-engine propeller plane went down shortly after taking off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport near Shirley.
The front of the plane landed on a tree-lined street flanked with homes - ending up about 100 feet from the nearest house and several hundred from half-a-dozen others - and its tail plunged into a nearby construction trash bin, said Jeff Litwin, who lives near the crash site.
A neighbor "was trying to put out the fire with a garden hose, but it was too hot and he couldn't get to a person trapped inside," Litwin said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 5542Z Make/Model: TB10 Description: SOCATA TB 10
Date: 08/19/2012 Time: 1600
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: BROOKHAVEN State: NY Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WERE 3 PERSONS ON
BOARD, 2 WERE FATALLY INJURED, 1 SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, BROOKHAVEN, NY
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 2
# Crew: 3 Fat: 2 Ser: 1 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: FARMINGDALE, NY (EA11) Entry date: 08/20/2012
http://registry.faa.gov/N5542Z
A small plane crashed in a fireball on a Long Island street yesterday, killing the pilot and a woman on board and critically injuring her husband.
Neighbors armed only with garden hoses tried to save the victims from 20-foot flames.
“I watched a man burn to death in front of my eyes. This man fought to live, and there was just nothing we could do. It was awful,” said former Navy aviation mechanic Darnell Lee, 26, who braved 20-foot flames to try to save the pilot.
People living near the crash site in Shirley said the pilot steered his plane away from the houses.
“This man is a hero. You could see that he tried to avoid hitting my house,” said Lee.
“I respect this man. He died fighting. I wish I could meet his family and tell them this.”
Another neighborhood resident, Dan Tooker, 29, used a hose to spray water on the pilot through a sheared-off door.
“The plane was upside down, so his feet were pinned,’’ Tooker said. “He was struggling to get himself out of the plane. He was on fire.’’
Lee watched in horror, helpless, as the pilot died. “You could see him give up. It was heartbreaking. It’s something I can’t get out of my head.”
An Orange County woman and a pilot were killed Sunday after a single-engine plane crashed into a residential neighborhood on Long Island, authorities said, and another passenger -- the husband of the female passenger -- was critically injured.
Witnesses said the two passengers emerged from the plane in Shirley appearing dazed and severely burned before they were taken to the hospital.
SHIRLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - One person was confirmed dead after a small plane carrying three people crashed in the eastern Long Island town of Shirley Sunday morning, authorities said.
1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria reported that the pilot was trapped in the fiery wreckage and killed.
Neighbor Ed Finnegan told D’Auria he was reading his morning newspaper when the plane went down.
“I heard the crash and then I hopped in my truck, drove over there, and it was completely engulfed in flames,” Finnegan told D’Auria.
Neighbors used garden hoses to put out the flames coming off the plane, D’Auria reported.
Finnegan said he knew the plane was flying too low, but credited the pilot for preventing greater catastrophe.
“The plane somehow managed to go between two houses and not hit them and hit the tree in front of the house, and came down on the street. It’s unnerving,” he said.
Riding in the plane at the time of the crash were Erik Unhjem, 61, and his wife Jane, 60, of Goshen, New York. The couple was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center.
Authorities said the small plane was a Socata TB10, registered to an Orlando, FL man.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the plane went down in a vacant lot near a residential area about a mile north of Brookhaven Calabro Airport.
The FAA reported that the accident happened on departure from Brookhaven Airport.
Neighbors told CBS 2′s Steve Langford that they did their best to save the pilot.
“We were trying so hard to get him out and we couldn’t, we kept him wet, he was trapped,” said Darnell Lee.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com
Authorities investigate the scene where a small plane carrying three people plummeted into a residential Long Island street in Shirley, N.Y., Sunday, Aug 19, 2012. The fiery crash killed one person aboard as neighbors tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and garden hoses. The single-engine, propeller plane went down around noon, shortly after taking off from nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said.
(AP Photo/Newsday, John Roca) NYC LOCALS OUT
Authorities investigate the scene where a small plane carrying three people plummeted into a residential Long Island street in Shirley, N.Y., Sunday, Aug 19, 2012. The fiery crash killed one person aboard as neighbors tried to douse the flames with fire extinguishers and garden hoses. The single-engine, propeller plane went down around noon, shortly after taking off from nearby Brookhaven Calabro Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said.
(AP Photo/Newsday, John Roca) NYC LOCALS OUT
Please note: The photo shown in the video is from a crash a few years ago- NOT FROM SHIRLEY
