Four killed after small plane crashes just short of Westchester County Airport

Four people died Saturday - including two 14-year-old girls - after their small plane crashed and burst into flames as they tried to make an emergency landing at Westchester County Airport, officials said.

The pilot, Keith Weiner, 63, had just taken off from runway 34 of the Armonk airport with his wife, 14-year-old daughter and her teen friend shortly after 1 p.m., when he reported a problem, officials said.

"The pilot advised that he had to retu to Westchester County," said FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker. "He was trying to retu and the plane went down just short of runway 16."

The single-prop plane - which was scheduled to fly to Montauk, L.I. - went up in flames after it crashed in a patch of woods near a New York City-owned watershed, officials said.

Weiner's wife, Lisa, 51, daughter, Isabel and the young girl's friend, Lucy Walsh, all perished in the crash.

The family decided to get away from their midtown Manhattan home and take their daughter's friend, who was visiting from Ohio, to Montauk for the day, Keith Weiner's father said.

A small plane crashed just short of the Westchester County Airport, killing four people. (CBS 2 News)

"They were going to have a nice lunch," said William Weiner, 85.

The heartbroken father said his son loved to fly so much he named his Piermont, N.Y., fine art gallery CAVU, an aviation term for fair weather.

"He loved his airplane," Weiner said, adding that he just got a Father's Day card in the mail from his son today.

"You're still the wisest and best engineer," the card read. "To know you is to love you."

Helen Gil, manager of the Montauk Airport, said Weiner called the airport early Saturday moing to say he would be flying in later.

"He usually comes a few times every summer," Gil said. "He comes with his wife and daughter."

She said authorities called the airport at 1:30 p.m. and asked about plane N210KW.

"When I heard fatalities, I couldn't believe it," she said. "I know he's a really good pilot."