3 Die, 22 Hurt as Plane Crashes in City

A small plane that took off in fog and rain crashed in a Newark neighborhood Friday, hurling flaming debris across a city block. All three people aboard were killed and 22 on the ground were injured.

Killed were Itzhak Jacoby, 56, the pilot who also owned the plane; his wife, Gail, 50, and their 13-year-old daughter Atira, all of Bethesda, Md., authorities said.

“Everything was on fire. All the cars on the block were on fire,” said Rhonda Savage, 38, who lives in the neighborhood.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the single-engine Beechcraft BE-35 five minutes after it took off for Washington from Linden Airport, a few miles south of Newark. Two airport employees had advised the pilot against taking off in rain and fog, Linden Mayor John Gregorio said.

Witnesses said the plane spun out of control and hit a tree and a factory, setting it on fire.

The plane sent fiery debris raining down on cars and sheared the roof off one, critically burning a man. The plane broke apart as it continued down the block, with some parts landing in a cemetery, before it smashed into the side of a Kentucky Fried Chicken that was closed.

One body landed on the grass and sidewalk next to the restaurant. The two other bodies were found in the street.

The street between the restaurant and the factory was littered with burned cars. One of the plane’s red-and-white wings was leaning against a small tree near the restaurant.

Nineteen adults and three children were taken to the hospital. A 59-year-old man who was in a car that was hit by the plane was in critical condition with first- and second-degree burns. A 29-year-old woman was in fair condition with burns and a fractured ankle. Seven patients were treated and released, and the remaining 13 were in stable condition with minor injuries.