By Abigail Fridmann SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) —The investigation into the Hannibal plane crash is still ongoing but police have confirmed that one woman has died. According to officials, Jeanette Reyner was flying the plane when it crashed just before sunset.
The cause of the crash is still under review, but neighbors say she and her husband flew the ultralight plane quite frequently, and appeared to be confident.
“I mean, they fly in and out all the time,” said John S. Lewis, Reyner’s neighbor.
“They’re adequate flyers, it’s not like they don’t know what they’re doing.”
Lewis says once they heard the crash, neighbors rushed to Reyner’s aid.
“And then I came out and I saw everybody running up to the plane, and I yelled ‘do you want me to call 911?’ but Kim goes like that — she already called them.”
Mark Holmes has lived in Hannibal for decades, and he says this crash is unlike anything he’s ever seen.
And while the FAA is still investigating the cause of the crash, Holmes and Lewis believe Reyner may have had a problem with her gas tank.
“Water in the gas, or…I don’t know. But the runway is like right there, so they only made it from here to the road.”
Abby:
ACCORDING TO POLICE THE CRASH OCCURRED JUST BEFORE SUNSET. NEIGHBORS SAY THE CRASH CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.
John S. Lewis:
“THE PLANE CRASHED, I JUMPED OFF THE COUCH, IT WAS A BIG THUD, I COULDN’T BELIEVE A LITTLE ULTRA-LIGHT COULD MAKE THAT NOISE.”
Abby:
THAT NOISE WAS JEANETTE REYNER’S AIRCRAFT, AND IT CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF MOST OF THE NEIGHBORS.
John S. Lewis:
“AND THEN I CAME OUT AND I SEEN EVERYBODY RUNNIN UP TO THE PLANE, AND I YELLED, “DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL 911″ BUT KIM GOES LIKE THAT, SHE ALREADY CALLED THEM.”
Abby:
MARK HOLMES HAS LIVED IN HANNIBAL FOR DECADES, AND HE SAYS IT’S UNLIKE ANYTHING HE’S EVER SEEN.
Mark Holmes:
” I MEAN I’VE HEARD OF PLANE CRASHES, 30, 40 MILES FROM HERE, BUT NOT RIGHT IN HANNIBLE.”
Abby:
AND WHILE THE FAA IS STILL INVESTIGATING THE CRASH, HOLMES AND LEWIS HAVE THEIR OWN THEORIES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
John S. Lewis:
” I THINK WHAT IT HAD TO BE WAS A GAS PROBLEM OR SOMETHING. WATER IN THE GAS, I DON’T KNOW. BUT THE RUNWAY IS LIKE RIGHT THERE, SO THEY ONLY MADE IT FROM HERE TO THE ROAD, SO…”
Central New York
Central New York
Central New York
