Two people were killed after a small Cessna-style plane crashed Sunday, Aug. 30, in the Town of Enfield.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown and is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office.
On Sunday at about 12:35 p.m., police responded to the 100 block area of North Applegate Road in the Town of Enfield for a reported plane crash.
According to the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office, the plane had two occupants. David Kornreich, 52, the owner of the plane, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other passenger, Andrew R. Harrell, 31, was transported to Cayuga Medical Center in critical condition. He later died from his injuries.
"This is a terrible and tragic situation," said Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne. "Our hearts go out to the friends and family of the victims."
The preliminary investigation revealed that the plane was cleared for takeoff from the Ithaca Airport at 11:24 a.m., and the last contact with the tower was at 12:02 p.m., police said. The crash was called in by a witness at 12:35 p.m. The witness reported that it appeared the plane, a 1977 Lake model LA-4-200, was experiencing a mechanical issue prior to going down.
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Tompkins County Sheriff's deputies were assisted at the scene by New York State Police, New York State Park Police, Enfield Fire & Rescue, the Department of Emergency Response, Ithaca Fire Department, Airport Fire Department and Trumansburg Fire Department.
The Tompkins County Sheriff's Office said there were no other people or structures involved in the crash, and no roadways were shut down.
This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: 2 killed in Enfield plane crash shortly after takeoff from Ithaca