Skydiving plane crashes in Town of Porter, killing one

The plane, belonging to Skydive The Falls, crashed while attempting to land
Skydiving plane wreckage
Photo credit Zach Penque - WBEN

Porter, N.Y. (WBEN) - A skydiving plane crashed in the Town of Porter on Saturday, taking the life of the pilot while returning to its base after releasing divers.

Around 11:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, the Niagara County Sheriff's Communications Center began receiving 9-1-1 calls reporting a plane crash on the Niagara Scenic Parkway, just Northeast of Fort Niagara State Park. The crash was also reported to have started a brush fire around the crash site.

Niagara County's Sheriff's Deputies, New York State Police, Town of Lewiston Police and New York State Park Police responded to the scene. The Youngstown Volunteer Fire Company was also on scene to extinguish the fires.

The initial investigation revealed that an airplane from Skydive the Falls had release all divers and was heading back to land when it crashed. The pilot was the only person onboard at the time of the crash and was killed.

Notification was made to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. The name of the pilot has not be released at this time.

This is still an ongoing investigation.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Zach Penque - WBEN