Two men headed to funeral die in crash as they warned plane 'lost engines' in last message
Boruch Taub and Binyamin 'Ben' Chaifetz crashed near a reservoir in Westchester County as they flew back to their native Cleveland.
Westchester County: Plane crashes after ‘engine issues’
Two men died when their Ohio-bound flight reportedly "lost an engine" as the plane flew over Westchester County in the state of New York. Boruch Taub and Binyamin 'Ben' Chaifetz were headed to their native Cleveland to attend a funeral but reportedly were met with some trouble within minutes of taking off. In a devastating final message to a chat group with friends to report they had engine issues and to tell them and his friends he loved his family.
Screenshots shared on Twitter showed the tech entrepreneur read: "I love you and the kids. I am sorry for everything I have done.
"Aay rehillim. We lost engines. Call and have community say [Tehillim]."
Tehillim is the Hebrew term for the Book of Psalms. The reading of the Psalms is seen in the Jewish tradition as a vehicle for gaining God's favour.
Initial reports suggest Taub had been the pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza A36 single-engine aircraft, and Chaifetz was the only passenger.
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The pair's fight left JFK airport heading for Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, just outside Cleveland, Ohio.
Westchester Country Airport reported losing connection with Taub at around 5.30pm on Thursday after Taub initially reported engine issues.
A Mayday call was heard minutes later over air traffic but contact was lost shortly after.
Officials in Westchester County said the wreckage of the aircraft was found at 11pm in the trees of a small island near a reservoir just off the airport.
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A flight radar recording of the plane's pattern showed the one-engine aircraft dropping thousands of feet in a matter of minutes.
According to the flight magazine website DansDeals, Chaifetz was survived by his wife and seven children.
The Federal Aviation Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the crash.
The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.
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