New Jersey – The Chasidic pilot who deliberately crash landed his plane in a New Jersey field spoke from his hospital bed, sharing the story of his fateful flight in a VIN News video interview.
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As previously reported on VIN News, Yanky Rosenberg of Spring Valley was flying a Cessna 172 last Thursday when he experienced engine failure.
Rosenberg, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, had taken off with his co-pilot Erik Pearson from Farmingdale Airport on a routine patrol for the Coast Guard. The two had flown up to the Albany area and were heading back to Farmingdale when their engine malfunctioned. Hoping to land at Teterboro Airport, the two headed west to New Jersey when their engine died completely.
When the Cessna did not respond to Rosenberg’s attempts to restart the engine, he began preparing for an emergency landing.
(Video interview with Shimon Gifter for VINnews.com)
“I shut the fuel, shut the electric power to the main…cut off the fuel selector, cut off the electrical power and I said ‘Shema Yisroel,’” Rosenberg told VIN News.
Both pilots tightened their seatbelts and concerned about a potential fuel fire on impact, Rosenberg told Pearson that if he lived through the landing, he should get out of the plane immediately.
“We had to land it,” said Rosenberg. “I saw a field that would have been a safe landing but it was full of kids so we decided to take another field, right next to it, adjacent to it, and we hit it hard.”
NorthJersey.com reported that Rosenberg and Pearson agreed immediately that they had no choice but to go for the second, smaller field.
“I said, ‘G-d, please help me and if I don’t make it, take me,’” said Rosenberg. “If I would have killed one of those kids, I would never have forgiven myself.”
Miraculously, Rosenberg was conscious after the crash landing but his attempts to rouse Pearson were unsuccessful. Rescuers were there within moments and Rosenberg screamed for them to extricate them from the aircraft.
Rosenberg and Pearson are both at Hackensack University Medical Center, where Pearson remains sedated. Rosenberg underwent surgery on his legs and says he is looking forward to his next flight.
16 year old Ben Stein and 17 year old Michael Silverman, members of the Tenafly High School cross country team, were on the field last Thursday, along with members of a ninth grade soccer team and the school’s marching band. The two teens saw the pilots zigzagging across the field as it descended.
“We thought it was just an independent pilot maybe taking a joy ride with his family,” said Stein.
Neither heard Rosenberg or Pearson shouting through the plane’s open windows, attempting to get the children out of the way. Their attempts unsuccessful, the plane made a turn over the Cresskill municipal pool and crash landed onto nearby Regan Field as the high schoolers watched in horror.
Stein and Silverman paid a visit to Rosenberg in the hospital yesterday, bringing a gift basket and a Tenafly High school cross country running team t-shirt.
“I gave them a lesson in life,” said Rosenberg. “If you see a plane coming down, nobody means harm to you, just get out of the way.”
Here’s the difference between Jews and Muslims. When Jews are involved in a plane accident, they say Shema Yisroel and try to save as many lives as possible. Muslims, on the other hand, scream Allahu Akbar and try to kill as many as possible.
Kol Hakavod the frum members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Air Force Auxiliary. These are rare people who spend long hours training just to help other people.
Great article.
Here you have it all you noise makers against frum Yidden about lack of secular education. A Chasidic person who went to yeshivas has pilot license and and made an intelligent decision.
Non of the ones who left the fold will ever become a pilot. I say it again:non of them will become anything intelligent besides getting back bashing at the community.
While taking flying lessons, I took my wife on a Cessna 172, along with the flight instructor. We flew for about an hour, before returning to the commercial airport, which we took off from. When we took off, we had to wait for clearance, as there were several commercial jets on the same runway, which we were taking off from. Then, we had to wait until the wake turbulence from those jets subsided. Unfortunately, those small private planes are very unforgiving, once there is engine failure. Although it happens rarely, one had pray, that they have a good field to land on, in the event of an engine failure. The small planes are not strongly built, and they collapse upon impact. The seat belts in them really don’t afford that much protection, in the event of a crash. Our instructor was very strict about the pre-flight check (i.e. checking the oil, checking the tires, checking the flaps, checking the engine power). However, once the Cessna was in the air, the rest was up to Hashem, to make sure that we got back safely. In any event, I salute Mr. Yanky Rosenberg for his skillful landing, which saved lives; I also wish him a refuah schlema!
I know I will get lots of critic on this but if mr. Rosenberg would consult with his rebbe if he should fly an airplane I bet you he would never ever permit him to do it.
Flying a plane is in general a big sekuna but when we have no choice we say tefiles haderech and we sit back and let Hashem carry us to safety.
Flying for a hobby is a major sekuna and I believe anyone going up there is oyver on Vnismartem Lenafshoysychem.
We all know riding in a car, plane,crossing the street is also a sekuna but we have to move around and get to places.
Mazel tov and yasher koach to both pilots for putting the lives of innocent children above their own. A real kiddush HaShem.