The Latest On Westchester Plane Crash Investigation, Wreckage Removal

ARMONK, NY — Following the initial efforts to find a missing plane to search for survivors, state, federal and local officials said resources are being dedicated to thoroughly investigating a tragedy that played out on a stormy night in Westchester County.

Earlier this week, during his Westchester Weekly Update, County Executive George Latimer said that all small aircraft debris was removed from the immediate area of the crash, in the wooded area around a 20-minute walk from King Street.

According to Latimer, on Tuesday morning, a "major" helicopter came to lift out the portions of the airplane that remained. Some of that was in the treetops where the plane came to rest.

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• Chilling Cockpit Audio Of Final Moments Before Westchester Plane Crash
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"The aircraft wreckage was completely removed from DEP property on Tuesday," Douglas Auer, a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) said in a statement to Patch. "Prior to removal, the wreckage was 'bagged up' in prep for a helicopter to airlift it out of the woods. We had to cut several trees for the salvage recovery operation, which kept getting put off due to weather."

According to Paul Rush, Deputy Commissioner for the NYC DEP, Rye Lake is part of the NYC water supply system's Kensico Reservoir, which has around 30 billion gallons of water.

Auer said that there were initial concerns that a crash in or near the reservoirs could threaten the New York City water supply. Once the plane was located, it became clear that the reservoirs were not impacted.

"In the immediate aftermath of a reported plane crash in the vicinity of Kensico Reservoir, DEP adjusted the water supply as a precautionary measure," Auer explained. "Since the wreckage was eventually discovered a significant distance from the reservoir proper, the water supply resumed normal operations and there are currently no water quality concerns. Additionally, although there are no visual signs of ground contamination, the site has been marked should samples need to be collected in the future."

A helicopter working with a tow rope made four passes over the crash site, using a harness to lift large sections of the wreckage, according to a report from CT Insider. The airplane components were then dropped off at a field near King Street. A helicopter from the NYC DEP was also involved in the removal, according to the outlet.

"The NTSB investigator has left the area and will not be present for the removal," Keith Holloway, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a statement to Patch. "There is nothing new to report, however; I suspect that there will be a preliminary report available in about 10-12 business days."

"Of course, that will be of great interest to those in the aviation field because it will talk to what happened to the plane itself, that it lost air pressure, and whatever else happened," Latimer said of the expected NTSB preliminary report.

You can watch CT Insider's video of the plane wreckage being lifted up from the crash site here: