New Jersey police identify pilot who died at Blairstown Airport

BLAIRSTOWN, N.J., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Blairstown, N.J., police identified the pilot who died when his single-engine plane careened at full throttle across two runways and into trees as it was preparing for takeoff.

Samuel Singer, 63, had just finished refueling the aircraft at about 9:20 a.m. Thursday when it crashed into a bank of trees near the airport. Singer was trapped in the plane and was removed from the cockpit using hydraulic extraction tools known as the jaws of life. It is not clear what caused the plane to operate erratically, police said.

"It's still unclear what caused the plane to be in full throttle. The FAA is still investigating the cause of the crash," police said. "Our thoughts and condolences are for the family and friends of Mr. Singer."