Pilot opted for hard landing instead of risking lives of students on the ground
CRESSKILL -- A loss of engine power is to blame for the crash of a small plane near the town's public pool Sept. 3, according to a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Cessna 172 piloted by Jack Rosenberg, who was flying an observation mission as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, lost power while the craft was about 2,000 feet above the Hudson River, the federal agency said. Rosenberg, of Spring Valley, N.Y., was attempting to make it to Teterboro Airport and radioed controllers that he was experiencing engine trouble, according to recordings of his transmissions released after the crash.
RELATED: Quick-thinking pilot avoided school field prior to crash
Rosenberg initially attempted to land in an athletic field in Tenafly, but waved off when he and an observer on board, Erik Pearson, saw students practicing there. Instead, Rosenberg continued on to make a hard landing in a hedgerow near the Cresskill municipal pool, according to the NTSB and witnesses at the scene.
Both he and Pearson sustained serious injuries in the crash.
A final report on the crash is still pending, the NTSB also said.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook
