WAPPINGER – Police and first responders were at the scene of a single-engine plane crash into a wooded area on Maloney Road near the intersection with Smith Crossing near Hudson Valley Regional Airport in Wappinger on Friday afternoon.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters told Mid-Hudson News the aircraft, a Piper PA-46, with four people onboard, crashed less than one mile east of the airport while on final approach to Runway-24.
County Executive Marcus Molinaro said three passengers were transported to Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie and the pilot was transported to Westchester Medical Center.
Thick vegetation at the crash site required the use of all-terrain vehicles to locate the aircraft and begin the process of removing the passengers to awaiting ambulances.
The heat presented challenging conditions for first responders with two firefighters suffering from heat-related issues.
Molinaro said the swift response of firefighters and emergency responders from across the county “averted further complications at the crash site.”
Peters said the FAA will be investigating the incident with the aid of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.
The aircraft was manufactured in 1985 with the registered owner, according to FAA records, listed as Akron Aerostar LLC of Akron, Ohio. The craft is registered as having fractional ownership.
