Plane breaks, flips, crashes leaving five dead

A fifth person has been confirmed dead after a small plane went out of control and crashed at the Monmouth Executive Airport in New Jersey just before 4 p.m. today.  Witnesses say a piece of the plane fell off before it flipped upside down, smashing nose-first into the ground about 300 feet before the runway.

Although it was hard to locate the victims in the snow-covered field, Capt. Tim Clayton of the Wall Township police said that among them were three men, a teenager, and a younger child.  Their names have not yet been released, but it's known at least three of them were related.

Clayton said he thinks the plane was headed to New York City for some sightseeing. According to the FAA registry, the ill-fated Cessna 337 Skymaster was manufactured in 1973.

Man Dies at OCC Basketball Intramurals

A young man died after he tripped and fell during an intramural basketball game at Onondaga Community College.

The man, whose name hasn’t been released, was visiting a friend living on campus and was not an OCC student. 

Witnesses say he fell on the court around 9 p.m. Sunday night, and was unsuccessfully revived on the scene. He was taken to Community General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.  A spokesman for OCC said it is still unclear whether the man had a preexisting medical condition.

The Onondaga County Sherriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

Bode Skis to a Bronze

American Bode Miller took home the bronze tonight in the Olympic men’s downhill skiing event in Vancouver.  Miller says he’s relieved to be on the podium after being shut out in four events in the 2006 Torino Games, where he came in as a favorite.

In tonight's event, Switzerland’s Didier Defago took the gold, beating defending World Champ Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway by only 0.07 seconds, and third place Miller by 0.09 seconds.

Miller won two silvers at the 2002 Salt Lake Games, and with this third trip to the podium becomes the first American to win medals in three Alpine skiing events.