Witnesses heard ‘popping’ and ‘sputtering’ before Long Island plane crash: officials

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (PIX11) – Multiple witnesses heard “popping” and “sputtering” noises coming from a plane right before it crashed and killed two people at an airport on Long Island Monday, officials said.

The plane crash happened at MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma around 6:15 p.m., according to the Suffolk County Police Department. A small plane crashed shortly after taking off from a runway, killing both people on board, authorities said.

“Three credible witnesses all reported the same thing. They saw the airplane take off. Everything looked and appeared perfectly normal. Then the witnesses stated they heard popping and sputtering, with one witness in particular saying the engine stopped producing power at that point,” said Aaron McCarter, an aviation accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Witnesses said the plane was about 100-150 feet in the air when it nosedived and crashed at the airport.

Investigators are still working to determine exactly what caused the crash.

“Do I believe it’s engine failure? It’s too soon to tell,” McCarter said. “Hopefully by the end of tomorrow we’ll have some more detailed answers about whether or not the engine was the cause of this accident.”

The plane’s pilot, 46-year-old Christopher Kucera, and the passenger, 43-year-old Zachary Hatcher, were identified as the victims who died in the crash, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. 

McCarter said both men were flying back home to Virginia.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of those two individuals," McCarter said.