By Katie Wagner, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — A single-engine plane crashed into a wooded area immediately following take-off from Princeton Airport just before noon Thursday.
The pilot and passenger, husband and wife Allan and Sybille Christer, were transported to separate hospitals, police said. The couple live in New York City and were heading to Cape May.
Mr. Christer, 59, suffered a broken ankle and chest injury and was airlifted to Capital Health System’s Fuld Campus by helicopter. His wife, 46, suffered a neck injury and was driven to Somerset County Hospital by Montgomery Township Emergency Medical Services.
The crash, following a loss of power on take-off, broke the two-seat Vans RV-9A experimental plane into pieces, with the wreckage landing in township-owned woods, approximately 200 feet south of the runway’s western end.
Both pilot and passenger were found inside the plane at the crash site. Mrs. Christer was able to walk out of the plane with some assistance, according to Montgomery Police acting Lt. James Curry. Mr. Christer had to be removed from the wreckage by Montgomery Emergency Medical Services and Fire personnel.
”The plane’s a mangled mess,” Lt. Curry said. “It’s amazing they survived.”
Montgomery Township fire companies extinguished a fire which started while airport personnel were removing wreckage from the woods.
Mr. Christer, the plane’s registered owner, built the plane at Princeton Airport. The aircraft was issued an airworthiness certificate on May 30, according Federal Aviation Administration data. He has been renting a hanger at the airport for the last three years.
Ken Nierenberg, an owner of the airport, said he expected to see the frequent flyer in the cockpit of a plane soon.
”He’ll be back,” Mr. Nierenberg. “I know him. He’ll be out there again.”
Mr. Nierenberg shut down the airport at 11:48 a.m. because of the crash and reopened it 1:33 p.m.
Police said the aircraft took off westbound on the runaway and turned south upon lift off before losing power and crashing into the woods.
The cause of the aircraft’s loss of power has not been determined.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the New Jersey Department of Transportation Aeronautics Unit arrived at the scene around 2:30 p.m. to investigate the crash.
Montgomery Township Police, Montgomery Township Emergency Medical Services, Montgomery Volunteer Fire Co. No. 45, Montgomery Volunteer Fire Co. No. 46, Rocky Hill Fire Co. No. 53, Somerset County Hazardous Materials and the New Jersey State Police Medivac Unit responded to the scene.
