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Pankaj Mohan, 61, of Lawrenceville, was operating a Cirrus SR22 that crashed in a wooded area of Franklin Township at approximately 10:35 a.m. Sunday, March 30, according to the FAA and Franklin Township Police Capt. Vincent Wilson.
The plane departed Princeton Airport and was headed for Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, the FAA said. Only Mohan was on board.
Following the crash, Franklin Township's former mayor, Chris Kelly, told the Franklin Reporter & Advocate that he heard what sounded like an engine straining and then — "it sounded like a bomb went off," the mayor said.
"I called the police shortly afterward because I didn't really know what happened," he told the outlet. "I said it sounded like a plane crash nearby but I'm not really sure what happened."
About a quarter mile away, police confirmed that a plane had crashed.
Township Police say they were alerted to the emergency around 11:26 a.m. by air traffic control, which reported losing contact with a single-engine aircraft flying over the area. The last known location of the aircraft was near South Middlebush Road and Jacques Lane, Public Safety Director Quovella M. Maeweather said in a statement.
New Jersey State Police launched an aerial search while the Millstone Valley Fire Department deployed drones to help locate the missing aircraft.
At 1:22 p.m., the FAA provided coordinates that led authorities to a brushy area near South Middlebush Lane and Hilltop Lane, Maeweather said.
Police and fire personnel found the downed aircraft and confirmed one occupant was inside.
"You never think something like this is going to happen," the former mayor continued. "It's very shocking, it's very frightening."
The area surrounding the crash site was evacuated and remains secured for safety. Officials are asking the public to avoid the area and not interfere with the investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now leading the probe into the crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective William Poling at 732-873-5533 x3227 or email william.poling@franklinnj.gov.
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