RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — A beloved Virginia couple has died after a small plane crash in New York.
The pilot, Christopher Kucera, 46, of Fredericksburg and his passenger, Zachary Hatcher, 43, of King George, Virginia both died as a result of the crash.
On Monday, investigators say a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza A36 attempted to take off southbound from a runway at MacArthur Airport but crashed attempting to return to the same runway just 14 minutes later. The two men onboard the small plane died. There were no other injuries reported.
“According to a witness the plane got airborne and for some unknown reason attempted to return to the runway," said Lt. Kevin Beyrer with the Suffolk County Police Department. "Upon that return, the plane crashed.”
Friends of the couple are still in disbelief.
“I think everybody is kind of still in shock. Nobody can really quite believe it yet," said Will Mackintosh, who says he's known Hatcher and Kucera for more than a decade. “Zach was a real community leader in the philanthropy community and Chris was an incredibly laid back and funny guy. The thing about this tragedy is it’s really a loss for the entire Fredericksburg community.”
Mackintosh says Kucera has been flying since he was a teenager.
“He would donate plane trips to fundraisers around town for silent auctions and fundraisers and things like that," said Mackintosh. "He had had that plane for years and years and he was an incredibly experienced pilot. He was an aerospace engineer by training.”
Hatcher was set to become the new CEO of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region.
“They both had a lot of exciting things ahead of them in the short-, medium- and long-term future and I think everyone’s in shock to think that they’re not going to be around to do all those wonderful things," said Mackintosh.
Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region, Teri McNally, released a statement in response to their sudden deaths. When WUSA9 reached out for an interview, McNally said he was too distraught.
The statement issued can be seen below:
"Zach Hatcher and Chris Kucera were intelligent and accomplished men. They both had different fields of work where they excelled but there were so many areas in which they each had a passion for and a gift of getting things accomplished.
They were both passionate about preserving land, homes, and the environment. They had the talent and ability to make a difference in their community and brought with it the vision and understanding of the long-term responsibility of what preservation means.
Chris and Zach both made friends wherever they went. They were respected in their fields and became trusted advisors for so many colleagues. Outside of work, they were the ones you called for how to grow plants, explain the night sky, or how to fix anything! If you needed a recommendation for a good restaurant in Southwest Virginia or Portugal, they had a 'friend' to call, ensuring you were now part of their friend network.
I was one of the many people who called Chris and Zach friends. After over 20 years at the foundation, I was looking forward to handing off the reins to Zach. I knew he could guide the foundation into the next decade with a vision and direction for the entire community.
Their unexpected loss is deeply felt by all who loved them."