Pilot Dies in Cessna Crash Near Piseco Airport on July 12

Kenneth Andreu, 74, of Valhalla, died when his single-engine Cessna 182 crashed 150 yards from the runway at Piseco Airport in Hamilton County on Sunday at 7:09 p.m. Andreu was flying solo from Poughkeepsie to Piseco. He was a faculty member at Dutchess Community College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program and a longtime Civil Air Patrol member. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause.

What happened on Sunday evening

Andreu took off from Hudson Valley Regional Airport in Poughkeepsie around 7 p.m. on July 12 headed to Piseco Airport in the southern Adirondacks. According to witness accounts, the plane circled the airport and appeared to be landing when it suddenly descended into a wooded area. The crash occurred at 7:09 p.m. about 150 yards from the runway. Andreu was the sole occupant and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Who was Kenneth Andreu

Andreu was a 74-year-old pilot based in Westchester County who had taught Aviation Maintenance at SUNY Dutchess Community College for over five years. He was a longtime member of the Civil Air Patrol, a civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft, a 1966 Cessna 182J Skyline, was registered to Andreu and was destroyed in the crash. Dutchess Community College released a statement offering counseling services to students and staff affected by his death.

Investigation underway

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation. The NTSB sent two investigators to the crash site and plans to move the wreckage to a secure facility for examination after documentation. The cause of the crash remains unknown. The NTSB is requesting anyone with information contact [email protected].

Response from emergency services

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by New York State Forest Rangers, local ambulance crews, and fire departments from Piseco, Lake Pleasant, and Speculator. No other injuries occurred since Andreu was flying alone. The crash site was in a wooded area near the airport runway.

Final Thoughts

A veteran pilot and college instructor died in a single-engine plane crash with no known cause. Federal investigators are examining the wreckage to determine what led to the accident near Piseco Airport.

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