Pilot Killed in Western New York Plane Crash
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.
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.