Officials in New York have launched an investigation after a person died in a small plane crash in Niagara County. The single-engine Cessna 208B, used for skydiving, crashed near Lake Road near Youngstown, New York, shortly before 1 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane, from the Skydive the Falls skydiving center, had already released all skydivers and was returning to land when it crashed, according to a news release from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.
The pilot, the only person on board, was conducting parachute operations prior to the crash, according to FAA spokesperson Tammy L. Jones. Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti stated at a news conference that it is unclear how many divers were on board before the crash.
The sheriff described the plane crash as “an unfortunate incident” and noted that local and federal law enforcement partners are working to determine the cause. “This is like any other emergency-type incident. … You get here, you want to try to preserve life. Unfortunately, in this case, we couldn’t do that,” Sheriff Filicetti said.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigator is expected to travel to the crash site on Saturday, NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson told. The investigator will document the airplane wreckage, which will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation. The investigation will focus on three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft, and the operating environment.
The pilot’s name has not been released pending family notification, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.