A gay couple died in a plane crash at Long Island MacArthur Airport on July 22 when their single-engine aircraft went down after they took off on their way back home to Virginia.
The Beechcraft Bonzanza A36 was flown by Christopher Kucera, 46, who was accompanied by 43-year-old Zachary Hatcher. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the plane crashed at the end of the runway. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating, with NTSB leading the way.
According to PIX 11, witnesses said the plane was just 100 or 150 feet in the air before nosediving and crashing at the airport. An investigator with the NTSB told PIX11 that witnesses said they heard “popping and sputtering” upon takeoff.
A spokesperson for the NTSB told Gay City News that it is “very early in the investigation and not much information [is] available at this time.”
“As the onscene portion of the investigation wraps up, the aircraft will then be recovered and taken to a secure facility for further evaluation,” the agency noted. “NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.”
Typically, NTSB investigations can take one or two years to complete.
Kucera was a lifelong aviation enthusiast who received his private pilot certificate by the time he was 17 years old.
“Chris died doing what he loved most and with the man he loved most,” Kucera’s brother, Mike, told the Fredericksburg Free Press. “We are grateful for that.”
Both Kucera and Hatcher were well known in the Fredericksburg area of Virginia.
The tragic plane crash came just as the couple prepared for new beginnings. Hatcher was just weeks away from starting a new position as CEO of Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region after a five-month interviewing process, according to the Fredericksburg Free Press. The couple had traveled to New York to visit a friend.
The University of Mary Washington, where Hatcher formerly served as executive director of development, also mourned the couple.
“At UMW, Zach served as senior director of corporate, foundation and individual giving — a program he helped to build,” the university said. “He advanced into the role of executive director of development, where he led fundraising efforts for Arts & Culture initiatives and was instrumental in the development of the Beyond the Classroom endowment. He’s known for being an expert in volunteer leadership, and his colleagues recall how he strived to leave a place better than he found it. Thanks to this approach, his impact at UMW will live on for decades to come. Zach and Chris also renovated historic properties, known online and by many colleagues and friends for their hospitality at their White Plains Farm in King George County. His voice is recognizable and resonates with many as co-host of the Art Snap podcast. Our sympathies and support go to his family, as well as members of our campus community who worked closely with him and benefitted from his work and generosity. He will be dearly missed.”
