Two men from Ohio were headed to Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, Ohio from JFK International Airport on Thursday evening when their plane crashed. It went down in a wooded area just over a mile from the runway. The plane was attempting to make an emergency landing at Westchester County Airport. 

Piloted by Boruch Taub, his friend Binyamin Chafetz was the only passenger. They both died in the crash. 

It was rainy, with high winds. And due to the weather, it was extremely dark by 5 p.m. when the plane took off.

Plane crashed 1.5 miles short of the runway

 A 5-minute audio recording between Taub and air traffic control was released by FAA investigators. It revealed that 20 minutes into the flight Taub declared an emergency on the flight. 

"We are losing oil pressure," he explained to air traffic control.

They were guided by air traffic control to Westchester County Airport, which is only 40 miles north of JFK Airport.

The controller said “you are set up perfectly" for the landing.  Taub was heard saying, "I can't see anything."

Air Traffic Control told the pilot, "Runaway is at your 10 o'clock and less than a mile. Radar contact lost." When all communications stopped the plane fell from the sky about 1.5 miles short of the runway near suburban Rye Lake, New York.

Chafetz, the father of 7 was able to text his wife that he loved her and the kids before the plane crashed.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer had a press conference Friday. And explained that there was an “exhaustive search” of a densely wooded, 162-acre area. And that Taub and Chafetz's bodies were located late Thursday night using the last pings from their cell phones.

The two men were prominent members of the Jewish Orthodox community. 

Latimer said the process was expedited to release the bodies to their families, so they can be laid to rest before sundown, in observance of their faith.

The FAA investigation continues. 

"My sense is, had he had a little more altitude and a little more time, he would have made it safely to the runway," Latimer said. "We're talking minutes if that much."