Authorities ID 2 people killed in single-engine plane crash in Maine

Authorities have identified the two people killed in a single-engine plane crash near Bar Harbor, Maine, on Thursday.

Maine State Police said the pilot was 71-year-old Michael Leibowitz, of Charleston, South Carolina, and the passenger was 57-year-old Christina Chung, of Livingston, New Jersey.

Their plane crashed on approach to Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport about 12:25 p.m. Thursday, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said. The FAA spokesperson said the aircraft had taken off from Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey.

The crash happened at the end of a runway and resulted in a fire, said Leroy Muise, manager of the airport.

“Regrettably, two souls aboard the aircraft lost their lives as result of the crash and ensuing fire,” Muise said in a statement.

The FAA spokesperson said that agency and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that multiple agencies responded to the scene and the priority was to “provide aid to those involved, and ensure the safety and effectiveness of emergency responders.”