3 walk away from small jet crash at Essex County, NJ Airport

FAIRFIELD — No one was injured when a small jet went off a runway at Essex County Airport Sunday afternoon.

As the Citation CJ3 jet was descending onto runway 22 around 2:40 p.m. it was not able to touch down at the correct moment due to strong crosswinds, according to a preliminary investigation by Fairfield police.

When the plane did land on the runway it went off the pavement into a drainage brook.

Runway 22 runs north to south at the county-owned field also known as Caldwell Airport.

As police were arriving the three men on board the plane's owner, Edward P. Gregory, 66, of Bernardsville; Corie Dave Bennett, 45, of Danbury, Connecticut; and Carlos Rodriguez, 57 of Poughkeepsie, New York, were attempting to get out of the plane.

“We are very relieved that no one was injured as a result of this incident,” Fairfield police chief Anthony G. Manna said in a statement.

Strong winds

The Nutley Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit helped clean up fuel that leaked into the brook after landing.

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said the winds blowing at the time of the crash could have been enough to cause a control issue for the pilot.

"At the time of the incident, surface winds were blowing out of the northwest at the airport. Sustained at 14 mph. Regular gusts to 24 mph. Top gust to 34 mph. Those winds would potentially be even higher just above the surface," Zarrow said. "Such a northwesterly cross-wind would hit the back-right of the aircraft, and could be enough to cause control problems."

Spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt said the FAA is investigating the cause of the crash.

Third NJ small plane crash in a month

Two other small planes have crashed at New Jersey airports since the end of March.

A single-engine M20M crashed on the front lawn of a house on South Main Street in Manville while trying to land at Central Jersey Airport. The pilot got himself out of the plane and was hospitalized for treatment of a facial injury.

A plane rolled off the runway at Morristown Airpot in Hanover on Saturday morning with four people on board. It came to a stop in the grass with significant damage. Both wings had separated from the small plane, according to Morristown Green.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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