An Indian-origin woman died and her daughter and a flying instructor were injured in a plane crash in New York on Sunday, 5 March, while they were on board a "demonstration flight."
Roma Gupta, 63, and her 33-year-old daughter Reeva were on the small plane, in which the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit before it crashed near Long Island, NBC New York TV channel reported.
Roma was killed after the four-seater aircraft went up in flames while it was returning to the Republic Airport on Long Island. Reeva and the 23-year-old instructor were hospitalised with severe burns.
"The two patients critically injured, severely burned, to my knowledge they were pulled from the plane from a civilian," North Lindenhurst Fire Department chief Kenny Stallone said, according to the report.
Oleh Dekaylo, the attorney of the Danny Waizman Flight School, said that the pilot possessed all his certifications and the plane that crashed had recently passed two thorough inspections - the latest one being just last week.
"It was a demonstration flight, an introductory flight to see if people are interested" in flying lessons, Dekajlo said.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have begun their investigation into the cause of the crash.
(With inputs from NBC New York TV and ANI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)