Coast Guard Cutter Steelhead file photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Swanson.
NEW YORK – The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies are responding to a downed plane off the Long Island coast near East Hamptons, New York, Saturday.
The small plane which crashed about one mile off of Indian Wells Beach, Long Island, N.Y., has been confirmed to be a Piper PA31 Navajo aircraft traveling with four people aboard.
Coast Guard Cutter Bonito, homeported in Montauk, N.Y., recovered a person from the water near the crash site off the shore of Indian Wells Beach, Long Island, New York, Saturday. Earlier, East Hampton Life Guard’s located and recovered one person from the aircraft. Assets on scene are searching for the two remaining missing people.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound received a call approximately 2:50 p.m., Saturday, reporting a small plane had crashed about a mile off of Indian Wells Beach, Long Island, N.Y.
Sector Long Island Sound issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast notice to mariners, requesting vessels in the area to keep a sharp lookout for the crashed plane and for any survivors.
Coast Guard rescue crews are on scene conducting searches for survivors along with local agencies, fishing vessels, and shore units.
Assets involved in the search include:
- New York Air National Guard MH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter aircrew
- Coast Guard Cutter Bonito
- Coast Guard Cutter Steelhead
- An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
- Coast Guard Station Montauk
- Coast Guard Station Shinnecock
- New York Air National Guard MH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter aircrew
- East Hampton Police Department
- East Hampton Life Guards
- Suffolk County Police & Aviation Department
- Local commercial fishing vessels
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound command center at 203-468-4401 or on the radio at VHF-FM marine radio channel-16.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
