Private Plane Goes Down Off Southern Coast Of Long Island

FIRE ISLAND, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The U.S. Coast Guard was on the scene Saturday afternoon after a small private plane crashed on the Moriches Inlet off the southern coast of Long Island.

Two people, believed to be a man and a woman, who were on board the plane are presumed dead, authorities said.

The plane had departed from Spadaro Airport in East Moriches and sustained a moderate amount of damage during the crash; it is currently sitting on the bottom of the inlet under 15 or 20 feet of water, according to a Coast Guard spokesman

Divers are working to open the plane and recover the people inside, according to the Coast Guard. Rescue crews planned to work on accessing the aircraft as long as conditions remained safe.

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