Two men have died after their plane crashed in New York while on their way to a funeral - with a devastating final text message sent to friends saying they had 'lost their engines'. 

Boruch Taub and Binyamin 'Ben' Chafetz, both from Cleveland and identified by Jewish news organization, Belaaz News, were killed on Thursday night when their single engine aircraft encountered technical issues at about 5.25pm and crashed in Westchester County. 

Taub, owner of 'MasterWorks Automotive & Transmission,' had been the pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza A36, while, Chafetz, who worked as a tech entrepreneur, was his only passenger.

In their final moments, Chafetz appears to have sent a text message to a friends WhatsApp group sending love to family and asking his community to pray for him.











Boruch Taub (left) and Binyamin 'Ben' Chafetz (right), both from Cleveland, tragically died on Thursday night when they encountered issues in their single engine aircraft at about 5.25pm, sending out a May Day to Westchester County Airport just minutes later







'I love you and the kids,' he said in the text message posted to Twitter.

'I am sorry for everything I have done. Aay rehillim. We lost engines. Call and have community say [Tehillim].' Tehillim is the Hebrew term for the Book of Psalms.




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The flight left from JFK airport on its way to a small regional airport outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

Air traffic control at Westchester County Airport lost connection with the pilot around 5.30 pm after the pilot reported engine trouble.

The Federal Aviation Administration told theyeshivaworld.com they had been about one mile from the airport at this time. 

Taub then reportedly made a call to report low oil pressure and an emergency was declared a few minutes later. 









In the final moments the pair were alive, Chafetz sent a text message to a friends WhatsApp group sending his love to family and asking for his community to pray for him





Crews went by foot into wooded areas nearby, and according to News 12 dive teams and boats were also sent out to search nearby bodies of water. A K9 crew were also spotted

A 'MAYDAY' was heard over air traffic control minutes later, followed by no further contact.

First responders set up mobile command posts all over the area, including outside the airport and at several locations on nearby streets.

Crews went by foot into wooded areas nearby, and according to News 12 dive teams and boats were also sent out to search nearby bodies of water.

Rain, thunder and lightning is reported to have limited the search from the air and made visibility very difficult. The area also backs up to the Kensico Reservoir and Rye Lake beyond that.

Officials told the outlet that one passenger and JetBlack a pilot, now identified as Taub and Chafetz, were onboard the plane which holds up to six people.




The wreckage was found just before 11.00pm in the trees on a small island on a reservoir just near the airport






A playback of the flight on flight radar shows the plane quickly making a descent dropping thousand of feet within minutes






Taub, owner of 'MasterWorks Automotive & Transmission,' had been the pilot of the Beechcraft Bonanza A36 (similar model pictured), while, Chafetz, who worked as a tech entrepreneur, was his only passenger







The wreckage was found just before 11.00pm in the trees on a small island on a reservoir just near the airport.

A playback of the flight on flight radar shows the plane quickly making a descent, dropping thousand of feet within minutes.

Chafetz is survived by his wife and seven children according to flight magazine website DansDeals.

Depending on numerous factors, the average price for a pre-owned Beechcraft Bonanza A36 is $240,000. 

It was manufactured between 1970 and 2005, and requires a one person crew and can transport up to five passengers.











Four members of a Tennessee church were killed when their plane crashed two miles away from a Texas airport on Tuesday -  Bill Garner (left) and Tyler Patterson (right) 











Their Piper Malibu plane crashed in foggy weather in Lavaca County, Texas at 10.50am. Tyler Springer and Steve Tucker also died

The disaster comes just days after four members of a Tennessee church were killed when their plane crashed a mile from a Texas airport.  

Bill Garner, Tyler Patterson, Tyler Springer and Steve Tucker died on Tuesday morning after their Piper Malibu plane crashed in foggy weather in Lavaca County, Texas. 

A fifth passenger, pastor Kennon Vaughan, was injured and reported to now be in a stable condition after reportedly climbing out of the plane. 

The five passengers all attended Harvest Church in the Memphis suburb of Germantown in Tennessee, where Kennon is the lead pastor. His most recent service was last Sunday. 












Four people died and one was injured after their small plane crashed in Lavaca County, Texas on Tuesday at 10.50am









A fifth passenger, Kennon Vaughan, was injured and last reported to be in a stable condition

State Department of Public Safety officials said the plane hit the ground at around 10.50am, near the intersection of County Road 462 and Farm-to-Market Road 318, just a mile away from the Yoakum Municipal Airport. 

Garner was the church's executive vice-president, while Tucker was a church elder. 

In a tribute to the men on Facebook, Harvest Church said: 'It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Bill Garner, Steve Tucker, Tyler Patterson and Tyler Springer.

'All were beloved members of Harvest Church and their loss currently leaves us without the proper words to articulate our grief.

'We ask for your prayers and kindly request that the families of all involved are given the proper space to grieve at this time.'








The five passengers all attended Harvest Church in the Memphis suburb of Germantown in Tennessee, where Kennon is the lead pastor













The crash occurred in foggy weather just two miles away from the Yoakum Municipal Airport



Lavaca County in Texas is located about 112 miles east of San Antonio.   

The crash comes as two planes averted a near-fatal 115mph collision at New York's John F. Kennedy airport that could have killed 418 people.  

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are both investigating the Texas crash. 

The NTSB said the plane that crashed was a Piper PA-46-350P aircraft, known as a Piper Malibu, a single-engine plane capable of carrying five passengers and a pilot. 

'Five occupants were inside the plane,' DPS said in a statement. 'Four died and one is in stable condition being treated at Citizens Medical in Victoria, Texas.' 

Tennessee Congressman David Kustoff paid tribute to the four men on Twitter.












The group was riding in a Piper PA-46-350P aircraft, known as a Piper Malibu, which can carry five passengers and a pilot. Pictured: A file photo of a Malibu flying  









Tennessee Congressman David Kustoff paid tribute to the four men on Twitter

He said: 'Roberta and I are saddened to hear about the passing of Bill Garner, Steve Tucker, Tyler Patterson, and Tyler Springer from Harvest Church.'

These leaders touched our community and our prayers are with each of their families, as well as the entire Harvest Church, during this time.'

Residents told Crossroads that it was still foggy outside when the plane crashed.   

It is the second small plane crash in Texas within one week, after DPS reported that two people were injured when their plane crashed in Conroe. 

On January 14, at around 2.45pm, officials said a Fixed Wing Single-engine plane hit power lines while attempting to land on Longmire Road near League Line. 

Officials said the pilot and a male passenger only suffered minor injuries, and no homes were damaged as a result of the crash.


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