The pilot pulled from the Atlantic Ocean off Breezy Point in Queens late Wednesday when his small plane crashed into the water was a former Navy captain and an investment company co-founder who was on his way back to New Hampshire from a business meeting in Philadelphia, his business partner says.
James Bradford McGee of Rye, New Hampshire, was the only person aboard the Flight Design GMBH CTLS, a single piston aircraft, when it went down about a mile and a half off Breezy Point at about 7:30 p.m., authorities said.
McGee, known as Brad, was a graduate of the Naval Academy, the Navy Nuclear Power School and Harvard Business School, according to a statement released by his company co-founder and longtime friend John Callaghan.
"Everyone who knew Brad will miss his warmth, integrity and intelligence," said Callaghan. "I have known Brad since we were twelve and have known him as a dedicated friend. I always enjoyed his camaraderie, his wit, and his counsel. In losing Brad, I lose a best friend and a great business partner.”
McGee was a nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy and then a captain for 17 years in the Naval Reserve. He co-founded iCrowd and New Rye Securities, and before that, held executive positions at accounting consulting firm Seigel & Associates and at Tyco International Ltd., said Callaghan.
He was also an accomplished athlete, participating in marathons and Iron Man competitions.
"Brad was a loving and devoted husband, an insightful and diligent colleague, and a loyal friend to all who knew him," said Callaghan.
Heidi Moats, air safety investigator with the NTSB, said at a news conference earlier Thursday that witnesses reported seeing the aircraft descend into the water.
A fuselage, pieces of fiberglass and a wheel have been recovered from the ocean about a mile and a half off Breezy Point, she said, and authorities were working to recover several more pieces of wreckage, including the engine. The items will then be documented and taken to a secure location.
Moats declined to speculate on any potential causes of the accident.
Local
"At this point, we are looking into the man, the machine and the environment," Moats said.
Small planes like the Flight Design GMBH CTLS don't technically have flight data recorders, said Moats, but they might have memory devices or GPS.
In radio transmissions posted on Broadcastify Wednesday night, a member of the NYPD Special Operations Division is heard saying, "We just recovered part of the wing and are attempting to recover more of the airplane."
The transmissions were captured from roughly 9:15 to 9:30 p.m.
The investigation into Wednesday's plane crash remains in a very early stage in the process, however. Moats said a preliminary report on the crash would be issued in about 10 days with a full report expected in about a year.
