Massachusetts State Police said the pilot, a 79-year-old man, was flown to a Boston hospital in serious, life-threatening condition; his passenger, a 68-year-old woman, was evaluated at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and released. Both are Connecticut residents.
The pilot of a small plane that crashed while trying to land at the Martha's Vineyard Airport over the weekend remains hospitalized, authorities said Tuesday.
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A state police spokesman said the pilot, who suffered a medical emergency while flying the plane, is in serious condition.
The Federal Aviation Administration previously confirmed two people were on board when the single-engine 2006 Piper Meridian crashed while landing at the airport in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, around 3:15 p.m. The plane landed in a grassy area near the runway.
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According to state and local police, the pilot -- identified only as an 79-year-old man -- was having a medical episode upon approach, forcing his passenger -- a 68-year-old woman -- to take over the controls. The plane had departed from Westchester, New York, earlier on Saturday.
The woman attempted to land the aircraft, which resulted in a hard landing outside the runway, causing the aircraft's left wing to break in half, state police said. Local police described the incident as a the plane landing on its belly with no landing gear and said the pilot had to be extricated from the plane.
Both the pilot and passenger were taken to Martha's Vineyard Hospital, before the man was flown by medical helicopter to Boston for further treatment. Police have not said what kind of medical episode he experienced on board the plane.
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The woman was not injured in the crash, according to state police, but she was evaluated at the hospital and then released.
State police said both the man and woman are from Connecticut; their names still haven't been released.
The FAA said it had no new information on the crash Tuesday. They said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.
