Police: Small plane crash on Long Island; 1 dead, 2 critical

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane trying to return to a Long Island airport after the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit crashed, leaving one person dead and the two others aboard with critical injuries. Suffolk County Police say no one on the ground was hurt when the single-engine plane crashed Sunday in a Long Island suburb 20 miles east of New York City. Police say the plane took off from the Republic Airport in Farmingdale airport at 2:18 p.m. and the pilot issued a mayday signal a short time later reporting smoke. Authorities say the plane turned back toward the airport but crashed near a railroad track shortly before 3 p.m.