Shelter Island plane crashes, slides into ditch; pilot, passenger escape injury

The pilot and passenger of a small plane escaped injury after crashing while landing at Klenawicus Airfield on Shelter Island Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The single-engine 1974 Cessna 182P Skylane landed in a grassy lot north of the airstrip after the pilot miscalculated the strip length and wind conditions, according to Shelter Island Town police.

Police responded at 12:11 p.m. and found the aircraft nose-first in the grass lot north of the grass airstrip.

Police said the plane struck a paved portion of Burn’s Road when the pilot, identified as Eli Michael Noam, 78, of New Milford, Connecticut, was unable to stop the plane on the airstrip. The front wheel was torn loose as the plane went across Burn’s Road.

Police identified the passenger as Nadine Strossen, 74, also of New Milford. The plane was landing on Shelter Island after departing Danbury, Connecticut, police said.

The plane is registered to Noam, according to FAA records, and was last certified for flight in October 2022. It was not due for another certification until October 2029.

Police said the crash appeared to be an accident and the FAA said it will investigate the incident.

On Saturday, four people escaped injury in Shirley when a single-engine airplane they were traveling in landed in a field near Brookhaven Calabro Airport, officials said.