NJ Woman, 57, Killed In Maine Plane Crash

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Officials say a New Jersey woman is one of two people who died Thursday when a small airplane crashed near the runway at a Maine airport, after taking off from Morristown Municipal Airport.

The single-engine Cirrus SR22 left the Morristown airport with 57-year-old Christina Chung of Livingston and a pilot on board, officials said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane crashed at around 12:25 p.m. on Thursday, while approaching to the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.

Maine Police said that Chung and pilot Michael Leibowitz, 71, of South Carolina were fatally injured in the crash and the resulting fire. The plane is registered to S.C.-based Miller High Life Aviation LLC.

A witness to the crash, Sam Wilson, told the Bangor Daily News that the plane appeared to be upside down as it came towards the runway. Wilson, who works near the airport, added that it was foggy on Thursday afternoon and that he saw the plane crash into the grass east of the runway.

“It was instantly on fire,” he told the news outlet. “There was an explosion, and then a few pops, and then another explosion."

The cause of the crash is still unknown, and the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will continue investigating.