1 Dead, 2 Injured After Plane Crash Near Throgs Neck Bridge

QUEENS, NY — One person died and two others were injured Sunday when a single-engine plane crashed into a pier west of Throgs Neck bridge around 3 p.m. Authorities said the crash happened near Powells Cove Boulevard and 158th Street.

In a news release on Sunday, the New York Fire Department said the pilot of the plane and one passenger were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. A second passenger died.

Witnesses told FDNY the plane was seen moving "rather fast," skipping twice on the water before striking the pier.

Two other people, including a good samaritan on a jet ski who helped rescue two people from the plane after the crash, were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The FDNY said the remaining fuel from the plane was safely removed by HazMat teams.

Citing Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro, the New York Times reported the plane was a Cessna flown by a local resident who “flies in and out of here often.” According to the report, the pilot kept the plane in a hangar behind his home.

The New York Post reported on Monday that the plane's three occupants were returning from an afternoon lunch in Maine at the time of the crash.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio asked the public to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.