Yesterday afternoon, a small two-seat private plane crashed into two commercial buildings in Bohemia, Long Island. One witness said, "I heard this boom! And I ran over here and saw the flames coming out of the plane."
The passengers were a pilot, David Myron Rowe, and his teaching instructor, David Jensen. Rowe, who owned the Beechcraft 23, was reportedly practicing "touch-and-go" landings "in which he immediately takes off after his wheels touch the tarmac" at MacArthur Airport. Just after 3 p.m., the plane crashed into Varsity Plumbing Supplies and another building. The men were able to crawl out of the burning plane and another witness told Newsday the plane "completely disintegrated."
Rowe, who was at the controls at the time of the crash, and Jensen are being treated for burns at Stony Brook University Medical Center. The FAA says that a pedestrian was injured by the crash as well. Additionally, the two buildings were unoccupied at the time.
