NTSB: Ridgefielders' Plane Engine 'Sputtering' Before Fatal Crash

The two Ridgefielders and Colgate University freshmen killed in a plane crash in Morrisville, N.Y., were in a rented plane whose engine was “sputtering” before it cut out completely, according to a preliminary report released Friday by the National Transportation and Safety Board.

The plane, a Cessna 150H, piloted by 18-year-old Cathryn Depuy lost control in-flight and collided with trees, according to the report. Witnesses described the airplane’s altitude as being “very low” while the engine sounded as though it were “spitting and sputtering.”

Both Depuy and Ryan Adams, 18, were killed in the crash Sept. 20.

While climbing to gain altitude, the sound of the plane’s engine ceased completely and the plane began descending. During the descent, the engine restarted and the plane leveled off. According to the NTSB, the plane then began to climb and the engine sound ceased for a second time and did not restart. The plane then pitched nose down and spiraled to the ground.

The owner of the plane told the NTSB he did not receive any distress calls from Depuy. About 20 minutes after takeoff, he heard her announce that the flight was over Colgate university.

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