The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary findings on the December 12th plane crash that resulted in the tragic death of Monsey resident Yankel Friedman z”l, and injuries to the pilot.

The small plane, which took off from Linden Airport in New Jersey at 6:09 p.m., was bound for Albany, New York. However, at 6:26 p.m., one of the pilots reported engine trouble and requested to divert to Westchester County Airport. Moments later, the pilot indicated the engine appeared to recover after switching fuel tanks.

Despite this, at 6:42 p.m., the pilot again reported engine failure and aimed for runway 16 at Westchester. Surveillance footage captured the plane making a steep turn over Interstate 684, climbing briefly, then descending rapidly. A witness on the highway described the plane as “falling very fast out of the sky” and crashing in the median.

Yankele Friedman, 32, a commercial pilot from Monsey, was niftar at the scene. The 26-year-old pilot from Linden, New Jersey, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

The NTSB’s initial investigation found no signs of catastrophic engine failure. Wreckage and flight data are undergoing further analysis.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)