Small Plane Crashes In Linden, 1 Killed [VIDEO]

A small plane that had trouble gaining altitude at takeoff crashed at the old General Motors plane in Linden claiming the life of the pilot.

58-year-old Craig MacCalum of Montclair died in the crash on Friday afternoon according to WABC TV, He was co-owner of Best In Flight, a flight instruction school which had operated out of Linden Airport for two years.

Live video from WNYW TV shows the plane on train tracks on its side with a broken wing and a crushed cockpit.  The plant is across from Linden Airport and a Home Depot and a movie theater on Route 1/9.

WABC TV reports the plane is a Diamond DV-20 - N176MA.

The NTSB is headed for the crash site reports FIOS New Jersey.
The plane was having difficulty climb while taking off from the airport according to airport director Paul Dudley and the pilot put out a mayday around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon.

MacCalum and an unidentified student were on board the plane and suffered serious injuries according to Dudley.  They were taken by medivac helicopter and ambulance to University Hospital in Newark and Rahway Hospital.

NJ Transit service is unaffected by the crash.

The Linden assembly plant opened in 1937 and closed in 2005. The original plant was taken down by 2008 after being sold to a developer according to the Star Ledger.