eight of the rescuers were bayport firefighters. they spoke to us here at the fire house a little while ago and told us they just all happened to be together at a confirmation party when the plane crashed down the street. it was a lucky break for the pilot and passenger who had seen nothing but bad luck to that point. >> plane down. >> reporter: the single engine plane fell from the sky moments after takeoff from this bayport but the ill-fated flight didn't end in tragedy. >> you went down in the right spot. everybody has the skill set to do what they needed to do. >> reporter: neighbor eric cruz was the first to reach the downed plane.launched a coordinated effort to help the pilot and passenger in the plane. >> the other guys were on the top of the plane, ripping it apart to get them out. >> reporter: the two men on board are recovering at a hospital. the pilot suffered the most serious injuries. >> they're in relatively good shape considering the significant impact they took. >> reporter: that's due in large part to the work of t

. >> reporter: a harrowing scene here in this bayport neighborhood. you can see the damage, and authorities say it's a miracle no one here was killed. >> mangled and charred, the single-engine piper 2odell beckham came down from the sky, neighborhood on 2nd street and 3rd avenue, bursting into flames before startled witnesses. >> i was looking out my window and it stalled. he turned around and came back in and went down. he hit the first pole, twisted around, landed and went on fire. >> reporter: michael wicken heard the moment of impact. he spoke to us via phone. >> we were in our house and heard a big crash. looked out the window and saw a big dark cloud of smoke rise into the air. it was kind of short. didn't link heer. >> reporter: investigators say the plane took off from the bayport arrow dream around 7 p.m., almost immediately experienced engine trouble and tried to turn around and come back. it never made it. the plane last altitude, clipping the tops of trees and electrical wires, smashing into the pavement. the frantic scene recorded on air

of those first responders here at the bayport fire department. yes, this pilot and passenger were very lucky that their plane just happened to go down in a neighborhood filled with police officers, volunteer firefighters, and nurses. >> their legs were entangled in the shaft of the steering column and half of the engine compartment. scene as first responders and even neighbors rushed to help pilot scott clifford and his passenger michael. >> i'm glad that they're going to be okay. we prayed for them all night and their families and i hope they're going to get through their recovery with this. >> reporter: it was around 7:00 last night when the small plane crashed in this neighborhood in bayport. clifford and rome had just left the bayport aerodome to head back to orange county where they reside. the plane's engine suddenly lost power. resident joseph walsh says his kids were front lawn when they saw the plane go down. they ran inside to get walsh, a volunteer firefighter. walsh grabbed this nearby garden hose and started spraying. >> everybody wa

the plane came down in bayport. shortly after taking down from a nearby airport it struck trees and a power line but no homes were hit. eyewitness news reporter steph fan kim tweeted these pictures from the scene ?eessments in bayport now with the very latest. >> reporter: sandra and joe, that plane first hit some trees, and then a light pole about 100 yards down the block there before skidding to a stop here at this intersection and somehow, somehow with all of these homes around it in the middle of a residential neighborhood, nobody on the ground was hurt. a frantic scene in bayport after a small plane fell out of the sky crashing into trees, then a utility pole on third avenue, then skidding half a block and >> i was looking out my window and it stalled, he turned around to come back in and he went down, hit the pole, twist fire. >> reporter: it happened just after 7:00 p.m. officials say the pilot lost power and was circling back to the landing strip when the engine went out. >> the bayport fire department arriv

in bayport, long island, jodi goldberg, fox 5 news. steve: also on long island, the body of a missing man since a plane mishap has been found. he was one of four passengers aboard a piper that was forced to land in the harbor. the plane was experiencing engine trouble. three of the four were rescued, he was 23 years old and lived in queens. dari: a new study shows that more than 40 percent of retired nfl football players had signs of traumatic brain injury. the study was based on sensitive mri scans, called diffusion tense -- tensile imaging. this provides objective evidence of traumatic brain injury in a large sample of nfl veterans while they're still alive. >> gospel music lovers getting ready. mcdonald's gospelfest takes stage next month. steve: christina park shows us one of this year's headliners. >> reporter: one thing you can be assured up when you listen to donnie mcclerken, he sings and speaks from the heart. he says he can't wait to share mcdonald's gospelfest in newark. >> i'm looking for the people to be on fire. i'm looki

. >> in bayport, big plane down, on fire. the plane has hit a power line. >> reporter: the plane clipped a tree and then a power line before colliding with the concrete on this otherwise quiet block. >> this is nothing short of a miracle. both that the airplane did not hit any houses or any other individuals. we're talking about a sunday evening at 7:00. cl rly there could be people out and about. >> reporter: witnesses say the plane was engulfed in flames. hose and doused them before firefighters pulled the men and medevaced them to the hospital. >> the pilot has two broken legs and has also experienced head injury and is in serious condition at stony brook university medical hospital. >> reporter: again, so many calling it a miracle tonight that the plane did not injure anyone on the ground. that there wasn't more wreckage here in the neighborhood. the faa is on scene. the ntsb will be leading the investigation, and just one more note tonight. at one point, at least 250 customers were without power. don't forget, the plane

it was just fter 7:00 this evening when the piper took off from nearby bayport aerodrome. they were headed for orange county, but not long after they took off they had engine trouble and tried to turn around. it clipped a tree and a utility pole on the way down. officials were the 35-year-old pilot and his 66-year-old passenger. they were both medevaced to the hospital, but they were alive. >> their is nothing short of a miracle, both that the airplane did not hit any houses or any other individuals, we're talking about a sunday evening at 7:00. clearly there could be people out and about. >> reporter: the passenger, we're told is going to be okay. he d suffer a head injury, the pilot is in serious condition with two broken legs and a head injury. the faa is on scene, button the ntsb will be leading the investigation to find out why that plane came down. ida siegal, new york. >>> right now we are following breaking news out of newark. a homicide investigation near rutgers university. someone was shot and killed on the rutgers campus. clwe know police are investigating at t

it crashed in bayport last night, and the 34-year-old pilot scott clifford is in serious condition with broken ribs and legs. his passenger, michael rome, was treated for a bruised lung. doctorses say if it wasn't for the neighbors, they might have died. >> the wireses were jumping on the ground, and they were -- if we didn't take the chance, they wouldn't have gotten out. >> just thank you to all who helped him. >> the exact cause is not known but investigators say it was trying to return to the airport with engine problems. >>> a west chester family is have used social media to target the victims. it's called the stalking phone scam. >> i picked up the phone and it was a guy screaming. your wife was just in a hit and run accident. >> reporter: that's how the kidnapping scam started for hector martinez and carol ann who was with her mother at mount kisko on thursday. >> i was at the hospital all thursday. >> reporter: but the caller said that carol ann had injured his nephew. >> and they said we have your wife and we're drug dealers from the bronx and we have no insurance but we want y

the plane crashed in a residential area of bayport and quick thinking neighbors rushed in to save them. >> the wires were jumping around on the ground like they were life. it's a chance you take, but if we didn't take that chance, those guys would not have been able to get out of the plane. >> thank god he's alive, thanks >> the plane appears it was reached -- trying to return when it crashed. >>> a warning for transit light rail riders, be prepared to be recorded. not just what you do, but what you say. transit says its new security system is designed to deter crime and unruly behavior. signs are posted on the trains with technology, but some people say the recordings are a problem. >> it's a monumental invasion of privacy. so that's the real concern, that they don't have a warrant or any other legitimate reason to be recording these conversations. >> people making threats, people doing all kind -- types of criminal activity, plotting things. it's not really invasion of privacy because you are in a public place. >> so far the technology is on the river line and it is being installed o

the pilot experienced engine trouble near bayport . he crashed onto the seat. his passenger was treated for minor injuries. >> the football community is mourning the former saints player, will smith. he was shot and killed during a raid incident on saturday night. his wife was shot in the leg. the suspect has been arrested and held on a $1 million bond. >> thousands of people lining greek independence day parade. >> let's have a look. >> greek pride was on full display. mayor diblasio helped carry the event. two of those three were >> they celebrate the victory over the empire back in 1829. the establishment is an independent greece.>> of the great greek culture i love it! i love the greek climate. >> you love the greek ladies. >> definitely. >> 5:45 pm. let's check sports. duke you have to read that. >> the winner of the masters. >> his brother was live tweeting and he was criticizing everyone. >> it was pretty funny. >> check it out. >> i tweeted the link . >> i will reach with it right now. it was unbelievable. he was live tweeting and drinking. >> you could

. >> crashing plane on a single engine plane in the middle of third eave and bayport 7:00 last nights. firefighters rescued the pilot and passenger from that burning plane. nfertle say piper 28 experience engine trouble and reports of stalling, and it was trying to return back to the airport when it clipped a tree and hit utility lines before crashing. here's a witness. >> iftion looking out my window. landed it and within the -- scott clifford is in serious condition with two broken legs an a head injury. the passenger 65 yeertd michael luckily no one on the ground was injured. one week from tomorrow voters across new york will head to the polls in latest presidential primary. >> this is crucial, crucial place this new york state ours for the top candidates from both parties twall. robert moses is watching their activities, on the campaign trail and he joins us. good morning. >> ben and juliet good morning to you. you don't need me to it will you that we're big fans of the native new yorker up in harlem down on broadway but this isn't just about the city. upstate is important too. do

. >>> police on long island are trying to catch a woman they say stole a donation jar from a bayport gas station. the jar was stolen from a speedway on montauk highway on february 22nd. police say this is the woman they're looking for. donations from the jar he took off with were being collected for the cohen children's medical center. suffolk county police are asking anyone with information on the >>> the american library association has released its annual list of so-called challenged books at libraries, the ones that are most objectionable to people. the bible came up 6th on the list. also making this year's list, 50 shades of grey, the curious incident of the dog and the night, and fun home. those last two have been made in to broadway shows actually. >>> a landmark ruling overturned. coming up, why the decision is being seen as a legal setback for the reality show "sister wives." >> new jersey transit watching and listening to you? more surveillance cameras being added to light rail trains for safety. but some passengers are not happy about it. >> and taking a live look [ grindi

a single engine plane that crashed in bayport around last night. twoncht guys were on this piper cherokee by the way from a airman reportedly trying to make it back there and engine may have malfunctioned. they couldn't and instead clip the tree and utility lines. listen to this. >> looking out my window and he went down. oh, twisted around, landed, went outside. identified as scott clifford in serious condition. also we had the passenger, 65-year-old michael rome also in the hospital. his condition not as serious . no one on the ground injured. you have to be careful in those things. >> yesterday big day for greeks, thousands eve people lined fifth avenue for the annual greek independents day parade. yes greg kelly pride on full ?ri. mayor glsh owe helped carry the greek flag. >> only kidding. nick gregory, mike woods on hand broadcasting the event. i'm sure parade celebrates that in 1829 and independent greece. a great day for a parade. a little cold. >> how did that go? >> fantastic one of the best one in recent years. >> we're a tv station host

. >>> time now 5:03 a small plane crash lands on a residential street in bayport long island. >>> police say it could have been so much more worse. we have more from stonybrook university hospital. both the pilot and passenger were med ivaced to university hospital, police say it is a miracle they made it out. >> it is a small plane reported on fire, the plane is on fire. >>> sunday night as single engine piper 28 plane came crashing to the ground near second street and third avenue narrowly missing homes, parked cars and startled witnesses. >>> i was looking out my window and it stalled, turn around came back in and went down. hit the first pole twisted around landed and went on fire and stuff. >> the plane carrying a pilot and one passenger took off headed for up state new york from bay port around 7 p.m. sunday. after gaining altitude they quickly experienced engine trouble. the pilot attempted the turn back, but never made it. the small plane falling from the sky breaking through branches, clipping a utility pole catching fire on impact. a big crash looked out the window and saw a bi