On Saturday, a 1969 vintage military jet flown by 38-year-old Michael Faraldi of Germantown inexplicably crashed into the Hudson River just north of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, according to New York State Police and multiple press reports.
Faraldi was killed, and it took divers about a day to recover his body, which was removed from the river yesterday afternoon, according to the Daily Mail and the Daily Freeman.
Here's an account of the jet's last moments from a New York State Police press release:
Investigation at the scene revealed that the plane was a decommissioned military aircraft, a 1969 British Air Corporation Strikemaster MK80 jet plane, which was being piloted by Michael Faraldi age 38 of Germantown, NY. from Nashville, Tennessee to the Columbia County Airport in Ghent, NY. Just prior to the crash, Faraldi flew over the Kingston Airport where he performed a low altitude fly over into a 90 degree vertical climb. During the ascent, the engine appeared to lose thrust and the plane abruptly turned downward and plunged into the Hudson River. The New York State Police dive team assisted by the Ulster County Sheriff’s and Ulster Hose Fire Department dive members conducted a search of the scene and determined that the front section of the plane including the cockpit had impacted the river bed in approximately five feet of water.
The crash not only killed Faraldi, it scattered a "large amount" of jet fuel into the Hudson, the Freeman is reporting:
[State Police Captain Patrick Regan] said because of the amount of the fuel and its location it was not possible to mitigate its presence in the river.
The Times Herald-Record has images of the crash scene.
