1 dead after plane used for skydiving crashes in New York

As CNN reported, one person was killed on Saturday afternoon when a Cessna 208B aircraft used for skydiving crashed near Youngstown, New York.

The Skydive the Falls plane had released all skydivers and was on its way to land when the crash occurred, according to a news release from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane crashed near Lake Road just before 1 p.m.

FAA spokeswoman Tammy L. Jones confirmed that the pilot, who was the only one on board, had been doing parachute exercises before the crash. The exact number of skydivers who were on board before the incident is still unclear, according to Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti.

After the crash, a brush fire broke out around the accident site, which the first responders had to extinguish. Sheriff Filicetti called the plane crash an “unfortunate incident” and said that local and federal law enforcement agencies are working together to determine the cause of the crash.

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“Well, I think this is like any other emergency incident … When you come here, you want to try to save lives. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that in this case,” Filicetti said.

An NTSB investigator is expected to arrive at the crash site to document the wreckage, which will then be transported to a secure facility for further analysis, according to NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson. The investigation will focus on three main areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.