Small plane crashes in New York after losing contact with air traffic control

A single-engine plane crashed Thursday evening near an airport in White Plains, New York, after reporting engine trouble and then losing contact with air traffic control, authorities said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot of the Beechcraft A36 reported “engine issues” at about 6:15 p.m. local time when it was about one mile from the Westchester County Airport.

The plane had initially been reported missing after air traffic controllers lost “radar and radio contact” with it, the FAA said.

The plane took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and was bound for Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, Ohio, the FAA said.

A spokesperson for Westchester County told CBS News that the plane had departed JFK at 4:58 p.m. local time with at least two people aboard. The pilot had reported low oil pressure to air traffic controllers at Westchester County Airport, the spokesperson added. 

The exact location of the crash and the conditions of its occupants were unclear. Search and rescue operations were underway, the county spokesperson said.