Police Release Names of Victims of Westhampton Beach Plane Crash
New York State Police have identified the victims of Sunday’s crash of a vintage plane on Long Island that left two people dead and one injured.
The plane crashed just beyond a runway and burst into flames while practicing takeoffs and landings at Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach. The crash killed flight instructor Arieh Narkunski, z”l, of Brooklyn and backseat passenger Robert A. Wilkie of Hempstead. Richard Rosenthal, the owner of the Ryan Navion F plane, was the lone survivor. According to Newsday, Rosenthal was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Rosenthal is an attorney in Kew Gardens, Queens, who calls himself “The Dog Lawyer.” According to his website, which features the headline “Saving Dogs on Death Row,” Rosenthal specializes in “Animal Law and Dangerous Dog Defense,” defending pet owners whose dogs who are seized by animal-control.
He was struggling to get out of the plane when National Guard members who’d been doing a training exercise nearby arrived and helped him. Unfortunately, the rescuers could not reach Narkunski or Wilkie because of the fire.
It’s not clear who was flying the plane when it crashed.
To Read The Full Story
Are you already a subscriber?
Click "Sign In" to log in!
Become a Web Subscriber
Click “Subscribe” below to begin the process of becoming a new subscriber.
Become a Print + Web Subscriber
Click “Subscribe” below to begin the process of becoming a new subscriber.
Renew Print + Web Subscription
Click “Renew Subscription” below to begin the process of renewing your subscription.