One person died and another was injured after a small plane crashed onto a highway in Westchester County, N.Y., on Thursday, Dec. 12, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) statements obtained by PEOPLE.
Flight instructor Yankele Friedman, 32, was killed. The second passenger, Kalmen Goldberger, 26, remains in serious condition, per CBS News. No one on the ground was hurt.
The plane departed from Linden, N.J., and was en route to the Westchester County Airport in West Harrison, N.Y. Friedman reported the aircraft started having engine issues while it was heading to the airport. The single-engine Tecnam P2008 airplane then crashed on I-684 around 6:35 p.m.
The NTSB, FAA, and New York State Police all arrived at the scene. Each agency is investigating the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
After the crash, N.Y. Governor Kathy Hochul said in an X (formerly known as Twitter) post that the crash had “caused an aviation gas spill.” She confirmed the Department of Environmental Conservation was working to clean the spill up and the road was closed in both directions.
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Friedman’s brother Joshua said the other passenger was hospitalized. “I don’t know if he still is. I know that people were talking to him, and he was fine. So, that’s good news,” per CBS News.
Friedman offered private flight lessons to people who speak Yiddish, per CBS News. “He loved to take people flying. He would take everybody flying, close friends, everybody. He was extremely, extremely cautious pilot,” his brother said. “Always used to explain everything and go over every, single detail on how many extra steps he would take about being cautious.”
“It’s hard to imagine him not being here,” Joshua told News 12.
Friedman is survived by his 12 siblings and his 13-year-old son. Hochul said in a statement, “My heart goes out to the loved ones of those on board during this tragic incident, and I am praying for a safe recovery for the injured individual,” per CBS News.
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A representative for the New York State Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.
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