Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Coney Island Plane Crash
By
Jen Chung
Published May 22, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 22, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday afternoon, a sightseeing single-engine Cessna crashed onto the beach at Coney Island, killing the pilot and three passengers. The pilot, Endrew Allen of Jamaica, Queens, and the three tourists, Courtney Block, his daughter Danielle Block and the daughter's friend Jo-Beth Marie Gross, all of West Virginia, had started their trip from Linden, NJ. The NY Post reports that the three passengers were originally the daughter, her friend, and another friend, but the second friend felt airsick so the plane turned around and Block took her place. Many people on the boardwalk described seeing the plane fall, noting it looked like the pilot tried to land the plane in water, but was unsuccessful. Some people thought the plane was doing a trick, as it had been circling KeySpan Park earlier. A registered nurse ran down to the crash (there was no one on the beach, by chance), and found that the pilot had a faint pulse; however, he died on arrival. While it seems like there have been many accidents with Cessnas, Cessna says its because that particular model, the 172, is the most popular. The NTSB is still investigating.
Tagged
coney island
crash
keyspan park
News: NYC
nj
ny post
people
plane
queens
The NTSB
virginia
West virginia
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
The $1.9 billion project isn't expected to wrap up until 2032.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 12:59 p.m. ET
Former NYPD detective held on $1M bail after police say he shot driver on GWB
Officials say retired NYPD detective Victor Romero, 62, killed 46-year-old Koran Irvine in a road rage incident.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Former NYPD detective held on $1M bail after police say he shot driver on GWB
Officials say retired NYPD detective Victor Romero, 62, killed 46-year-old Koran Irvine in a road rage incident.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
MTA suspending bus fare enforcement teams after altercations emerge
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
NYC's horse carriage industry facing potential extinction with Thursday Council vote
By
Catalina Gonella
Jersey City housing development deal expected to send money to schools, city government
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .