Five die as light plane crashes on US highway

Five people, including two New York City investment bankers, died when a small plane heading for Georgia crashed on one of the New York City area’s busiest highways. Greenhill & Co. said two managing directors were aboard the plane that crashed on...

Five people, including two New York City investment bankers, died when a small plane heading for Georgia crashed on one of the New York City area’s busiest highways.

Greenhill & Co. said two managing directors were aboard the plane that crashed on Interstate 287 in Morris Township, New Jersey.

They were 45-year-old Jeffrey Buckalew and 36-year-old Rakesh Chawla. Mr Buckalew was the registered owner of the single-engine plane and has a pilot’s licence. Greenhill said his wife and two children were also on board.

Authorities said the plane had left a local airport bound for Atlanta when there was a garbled transmission and it disappeared from the radar.

Witnesses reported the plane spiralling out of control, losing pieces, hitting the ground and exploding. Helicopter footage from News 12 New Jersey showed charred wreckage, and state police said the highway was closed in both directions.

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