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Kalmen Goldberger, 26, of Linden, NJ, had reported engine trouble before the single-engine Tecnam P-2008 went down in the center median of I-684 near Exit 2 in Harrison Thursday, Dec. 12 around 7:15 p.m., officials said.
Goldberger survived, however, his passenger, Jacob Yankele Friedman, 32, of the Rockland County hamlet of Monsey, was pronounced dead at the scene, Connecticut State Police confirmed Friday, Dec. 13. Goldberger was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
According to flight data, the plane had departed earlier Thursday evening from Linden, NJ, before reporting issues.
The crash caused a full closure of I-684 in both directions between Exit 2 (NY 120 - Westchester County Airport) and Exit 3 (NY 22 - Bedford - Armonk). Traffic was halted for seven hours as crews responded to the scene and cleared an aviation gas spill caused by the crash. The spill was cleaned overnight by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including New York State Police, Westchester County Police, and surrounding fire departments. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation into the cause of the crash, officials said.
Anyone with inquiries regarding the investigation is asked to contact the NTSB at mediarelations@ntsb.gov.
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