Plane crashes in New York after Vineyard departure

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A plane traveling from Martha’s Vineyard to Long Island, N.Y., Friday evening crashed after experiencing engine troubles, New York State Police say.

The Piper PA32 single-engine aircraft, en route to Montauk, N.Y., on August 18, crashed short of the Fisher’s Island Airport runway around 6 pm, after the pilot had attempted an emergency landing. 

The pilot and two passengers were uninjured.

The plane, registered in Rhode Island to New England Airlines, was transported offsite by New York officials Sunday. The incident is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Friday’s crash follows a handful of Island-related aviation emergencies seen this summer.

Last month, a Piper Meridian Turboprop six-seat plane traveling from Westchester, N.Y., crash-landed near the runway at Martha’s Vineyard Airport after the pilot suffered a medical emergency, which prompted his wife and sole passenger to assume control of the aircraft. 

The pilot, later identified as Connecticut resident Randolph Bonnist, passed away days later at a Boston-area hospital. His wife, Robin Bonnist, was uninjured. 

Also last month, a single-engine Mooney M-20, traveling from Katama Airpark to the Island’s primary airport, had been airborne for less than 20 minutes before crash-landing roughly 1.5 miles from MVY airport.

The plane landed in a clearing within Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, after the aircraft’s pilot had declared an emergency, reporting engine problems to air traffic control. The pilot was uninjured.