On the afternoon of Saturday, October 20th, rangers heard a report of a plane crash over Suffolk County Police Department’s command radio. Rangers Bernie Felix and Steve Olijnyk responded immediately. The plane came down in the middle of Moriches Inlet at the eastern end of the seashore and just inside the park’s boundary. The Coast Guard was already on scene when rangers arrived and the plane was completely submerged and upside-down.  Witnesses at the scene said that the plane was flying low when it went into the water and that they’d heard the engine sputtering.  Volunteer fire department dive teams from the local area soon arrived on scene and attempted to recover the occupants of the plane. Initial efforts were unsuccessful, though, due to strong currents and low visibility. Suffolk County Marine Bureau vessels and divers arrived on scene shortly thereafter and took over recovery operations. The plane and bodies of the two adult male occupants were recovered late that evening. The deaths are being investigated by Suffolk County Police Department and the National Transportation Safety Board. Both men were from Queens; one was 51 and the other 72. The plane, a Globe Swift Aircraft, departed from Spadaro Airport, located in East Moriches.

Contact Information
Name: Lena B. Koschmann, Chief Ranger