New York Legislator Dies Block Island Plane Crash Amid Federal Investigation

Daniel P. Wilson, a 77-year-old Montgomery County legislator and civil engineer from New York, died in a plane crash at Block Island State Airport while attempting to land after flying from Albany International Airport. The crash occurred after multiple difficult landing attempts on Block Island's notably short 2,500-foot runway, which pilots have described as challenging for a plane of the Piper Cherokee Archer's size. The plane, co-piloted by an 87-year-old man and carrying a 77-year-old woman as the other passenger, crashed east of the runway, with Wilson dying en route to the hospital and the other two occupants seriously injured but expected to recover. The three had flown regularly together and were members or affiliated with Condair Flyers Inc., which owns five aircraft based in Albany. Rescue efforts were complicated by the dense vegetation near the crash site, requiring extensive effort to extricate survivors. Wilson was remembered by local officials as a humble, dedicated community servant who had a significant impact through his decades of civil engineering and public service, including chairing the county's Physical Services Committee.