Photo: Bernadette Marciniak, AP
Sept. 3, 2015 photo, first responders gather at the scene of a small plane crash near the Cresskill Swim Club in Cresskill, N.J. The crash seriously injured the plane's two occupants, believed to be part of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, who were surveying the Hudson River when they encountered problems and radioed air traffic controllers at La Guardia Airport, according to police. (Bernadette Marciniak/The Record of Bergen County via AP)
CRESSKILL, N.J. (AP) — Two Coast Guard Auxiliary members were identified Friday as the occupants of a small plane that crashed onto a recreation field hours before kids' sports practices were set to begin.
Jack Rosenberg and Erik Pearson were doing routine patrol for the Coast Guard in their single-engine 1978 Cessna Skyhawk when it crashed late Thursday afternoon in Cresskill, about 2 miles west of the Hudson River.
In an emergency, the pilot had tried to land in the river but instead came down at Regan Field behind a swim club.
Rosenberg and Pearson are in stable condition at a hospital, the Coast Guard said in a statement. Their injuries aren't considered life-threatening, spokeswoman Sabrina Laberdesque said.
Cresskill Police Chief Ed Wrixon told The Record the two were surveying the Hudson River when they encountered problems and radioed air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport.
The crash is under investigation.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is a volunteer organization that promotes safety for recreational boaters. Rosenberg has been an auxiliary member since 2005 and Pearson since 2010.
Their ages and hometowns weren't disclosed.
