5 Dead After Small Plane Crashes on Busy NJ Interstate
- Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:16pm by
Billy Hallowell
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HARDING, N.J. (AP) — A small plane headed for Georgia crashed Tuesday on one of the New York City area’s busiest highways, spiraling out of control and losing a section of the aircraft before hitting the wooded median strip and exploding, sending debris across the roadway. All five people aboard were killed, but no one on the ground was injured.
The New York investment banking firm Greenhill & Co. said two of its managing directors, Jeffrey Buckalew, 45, and Rakesh Chawla, 36, as well as Buckalew’s wife and two children, were on the plane that crashed on Interstate 287.
Buckalew was the registered owner of the single-engine plane and had a pilot’s license.
Wreckage was scattered over at least a half-mile-wide area, with a section found lodged in a tree of a home about a quarter-mile away, near a highway entrance ramp.
Helicopter footage from News 12 New Jersey showed charred wreckage stretching across the median and the highway, a heavily used route that wraps around the northern and western edges of the New York City area. A huge ball of charred metal sat in the middle of the northbound lanes. Both sides of the highway were shut down.
Law enforcement officials and firefighters searched the woods in the median Tuesday afternoon.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Socata TBM-700 turboprop had departed from nearby Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. It was headed for DeKalb Peachtree Airport near Atlanta and was registered to an address on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the pilot had requested clearance to a higher altitude. He said that garbled transmission followed, and that the plane then dropped off radar.
Chris Covello of Rockaway Township said he saw the plane spin out of control from the car dealership where he works in Morristown, near the site of the crash.
“It was like the plane was doing tricks or something, twirling and flipping. It started going straight down. I thought any second they were going to pull up. But then the wing came off and they went straight down,” he said.
David Williamson, 19, was doing maintenance at a golf course in Morristown when he spotted a plane in trouble, with smoke coming off both sides of the wings.
“It was really scary,” he said.
When the plane crashed, he said, it sent up a “huge plume of thick black smoke.”
Greenhill & Co. said Buckalew’s wife, Corinne, and the couple’s two children, Jackson and Meriwether, were traveling with him.
“The firm is in deep mourning over the tragic and untimely death of two of its esteemed colleagues and members of Jeff’s family,” the company said in a written statement.
Authorities said a dog aboard the plane was also killed.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. There were two separate plane crashes — one in New Jersey and another in Texas. For more about the latter incident, click here.
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packa14
Posted on December 21, 2011 at 11:01amand the dog on board was killed also, how unusual that a persons dog would be killed on an airplane crash with the family he is traveling , what crappy stupid reporting this journalist must be 5 years old!!!
Report Post »CulperGang
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:45pmwhy is this “gossipy” trashy other peoples tragedy even on the blaze?? Where is the social value in knowing this info??? Nowhere. In the grand scheme of things this means nothing to our lives.
What should be on the blaze is that UK citizens are having their own version of the TEA PROLIFERATE under Lord Monkton… UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDECE PARTY (right wingers! rare breeds in liberal UK) They are fighting back against globalist and liberals. Now that is great news to you and me!!!……..the commies libs are being routed around the world by FREEDOM loving main street joe schmo.
http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/1666-lord-monckton-is-new-deputy-leader
http://www.prisonplanet.com/lord-monckton-to-pursue-fraud-charges-against-climategate-scientists.html
Report Post »ZengaPA65
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 7:12pmNot too concerned with NDAA or anything important are they?
Report Post »beh0003
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 5:05pmVery sad and tragic story, especially around the holidays. The Daher-Socata TBM 850 is definately not an amateur aircraft. It is the fastest single engine turboprop currently made with a max cruise speed of 320 kts. It’s an amazingly fun plane to fly, but certainly a lot of plane. I hope they went quickly. Tailwinds.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 3:13pmWhich was it guys….Texas or New Jersey?
Report Post »Zipit
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:50pmReally fast plane! Wreckage strewn along highway from NJ, all the way to Texas……
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:47pmOkay this is too different stories mixed together. There was a plane crash in Texas, where five were killed and the video on this post is of the crash in NJ where 5 also were killed.
“Two New York City investment bankers were among the five dead in a small plane crash on one of the New York City area’s busiest highways on Tuesday.
Greenhill & Co. said two managing directors were aboard. They were 45-year-old Jeffrey Buckalew and 36-year-old Rakesh Chawla. ” per http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45737902/ns/us_news-life/?ocid=ansmsnbc11#.TvDlpPLNnUA
Billy, wake up … wake up Billy. must of been a long night for him.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:40pmYeah, I can see how Texas and New Jersey can be confused with each other.
Billy, I love you man, but just because Glenn is gone is no reason to go to sleep. I know he can be a “slave” driver (tongue in cheek), but grab another cup of coffee and fix this story, please.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:13pmOkay BLAZE, how about fixing this screwed up post? New Jersey or Texas? Get it together guys.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:36pmIt sounds like BOTH New Jersey AND Texas. They’ll straighten it out.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:47pmThere’s actually a third crash (the second in Texas), not to be confused with the two combined in the Blaze article. See: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/12/20/3607632/instructor-dead-in-plane-crash.html . The Blaze may make a mistake from time to time, but be thankful we have an alternative view of the news, not just the homogenized and pasteurized version rubber-stamped by the ‘Mainstream Media’! Rave on, Blaze! You’re doing a GREAT service!
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:07pmSo which story is true? The one here or the one on CBS news? The names of the victims and their ages are different on CBS News! At least confirm the information provided and print the correct names and ages of the victims please.
On the CBS News website they say that the victims are two managing directors of the New York City investment firm of Greenhill & Co and they were 45-year-old Jeffrey Buckalew and 36-year-old Rakesh Chawla, and Geenhill & Co said his wife and children were on board, but didn’t name them. They said Buckalew “is the registered owner of the single-engine plane and has a pilot’s license.”
Please confirm the facts.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:46pmSounds like pilot error, the guy thought he was in Jersey but was clear down in Texas.
Report Post »BlackAce41
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:45pmIs Texas merge with New Jersey?
Report Post »beverlee
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:31pmReal NJ story.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57345571/5-killed-in-small-plane-crash-on-n.j-highway/
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:26pmHey Blaze… are there TWO stories merged here????
One is tragic – two doubly so.
Report Post »GeorgiaDog1973
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:19pmHuh????? Texas… NJ…. This story has been combined from 2 different stories WTH
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:30pmThey really should ban bongs in the news room.
Report Post »762x51
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:14pmSo five dead in NJ and NONE were vile east coast liberals? WTF?
Report Post »TGS
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:30pmWhat a monstrous thing to say. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:43pmTragic. What was the weather like. Ice conditions? Sounds like either a airspeed stall or control/structural trouble. Prayers to the families.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:34pm…loosing pieces, spinning out of control and crashing in a ball of flame…..the United States of America sabotaged by Obama and the liberal Democrates.
Condolences to those hurt and killed in the plane crash.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:40pmInteresting Analogy…
Report Post »TGS
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:31pmThanks for the coda… nice that you managed to shoehorn in a really inappropriate analogy into a story that it has nothing to do with.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:30pm.
Report Post »Hate it when things like this happen at Christmas. God will have a place at the table for you. And here is a little prayer for the family………..