Pilot Killed After Plane Clips Power Lines in Western NY

The National Traffic Safety Board is now investigating a deadly plane crash in Western New York involving a small, modified aircraft.

New York State Police say the incident occurred as the craft was taking-off from Shear Airport in Porter, NY.

Porter is located in at the tip of the Northwestern corner of New York, about 30 miles North of Buffalo, bordered by Lake Ontario.

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Investigators say the Harmon Rocket plane was piloted by 35-year-old Christopher Caruana of Grand Island, NY. The plane failed to gain proper altitude as it exited the runway and clipped some trees and powers lines on Braley Road, and ultimately crashed in a cornfield, officials said.

Caruana was the only occupant of the small plane and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The accident happened on Sunday afternoon just after 3:00 p.m.

State Police, the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are all involved in the ongoing investigation - as is standard any time an air craft crashes.

According to it's website, Harmon Rocket planes are the hot rods of the air.

"There are modified motorcycles, standard autos, race cars, boats and many other things...Then there is the Harmon Rocket," the site reads.

It's unclear what model Caruana was operating, however, you can get a feel for the small compact size of the craft based on measurements provided on the Harmon Rocket website.

The model two (II) and model three (III) planes are measured at 5-feet 6-inches tall, with a length of 21-feet or less, and a wingspan of 21-feet 10-inches.