65-year-old Richard Rockefeller, great grandson of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller, died on Friday when his private plane crashed shortly after taking off from Westchester County Airport. Rockefeller was piloting the plane himself, and was the only passenger aboard.
The single-engine plane took off from the airport just north of New York City around 8 a.m. Friday. 10 minutes after takeoff, the plane just missed a house west of the airfield before hitting some pine trees and crashing in a yard. The aircraft broke up into many pieces, some strewn about the property and some lodged in the trees. Officials said there was no indication of a mayday or problem.
The Independent reports that at the time of the crash, the weather was foggy and visibility was about a quarter-mile. In such conditions, it is up to pilots of private planes to decide whether or not to fly.
The 65-year-old was a doctor and father of two. Family spokesman Fraser Sitel told The Denver Post that Rockefeller’s most recent project was find a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in wounded war veterans. Sitel said, “It’s a terrible tragedy. Richard was a wonderful cherished son, brother, father and grandfather.”
Richard Rockefeller is survived by his wife, Nancy, and their children, Clayton and Rebecca.