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Plane Carrying Two Crashes Off Cape Cod

Posted on: Tuesday, 26 August 2003, 06:00 CDT

A commuter plane carrying only two pilots crashed Tuesday in Hyannis Harbor off Cape Cod, an airline spokeswoman said.

The condition of the pilots was not immediately known, according to Mary Finnegan, a spokeswoman for Colgan Air, based in Manassas, Va. The plane was on its way from Hyannis to Albany, N.Y., Finnegan said.

She said initial reports that the plane was carrying as many as 21 passengers were not accurate.

Tim Bischoff, a businessman who said he witnessed the crash, told WHDH-TV, Channel 7, that he saw the plane with its landing gear down. He said the plane made a couple of "nose up and nose down movements" before crashing.

Divers were seen near the wreck, and a section of what appeared to be the plane's trail could be seen just below the water.

The plane is operated by Colgan Air, which is a carrier for U.S. Airways Express serving Cape Cod. It was in the middle of a "repositioning" flight, not a scheduled flight, Finnegan said.

Colgan Air provides service to 31 cities and 11 states on the East Coast. It has hubs in Boston, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington.

The plane crashed 3 miles short of the runway at Hyannis Airport.

An aerial view of the crash site showed debris floating in the water.

"Our thoughts and prayers are that our crew members are OK," Finnegan said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot declared an emergency shortly after takeoff and was returning to land at Hyannis when the crash occurred about 3 miles off land. The plane was a Beechcraft 1900, the FAA said.

Rescue crews from area fire departments were on the scene. Television images from the crash site showed a small boat in the water near submerged sections of the plane, and a Coast Guard helicopter was hovering overhead.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Amy Thomas confirmed that two people on board. She described the plane as at twin engine Beechcraft with seating for 19 passengers.

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