NY Plane crash victims drowned

Scotia: Autopsy results show two men and a boy drowned after their small plane crashed in the Mohawk River and sank shortly after takeoff Sunday afternoon, according to State Police.
Police divers recovered the body of Dr. Krishnan Raghavan, 52, and 11-year-old George Kolath Jr. about an hour after the accident. The boy's father, Mathai Kolath George, 42, was found Monday when the Piper 1969 was removed from the waterway. He was also known as George Kolath.
The were no signs of traumatic injuries to the victims, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the State Police about the autopsy Monday at Albany Medical Center.
The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to issue preliminary findings next week, but a representative has said it may be up to 18 months before the federal agency releases a final report into the cause of the deadly crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is assisting in the investigation.
Kolath, who lived in Menands, and Raghavan of West Glenville were both born in India. Raghavan, a licensed instructor and pilot, was teaching Kolath, who was a registered student pilot. Officials said it's unclear who was flying the aircraft at the time of the crash,
The elder Kolath was founder and CEO of Kolath Hospitality Group. Besides flying, he enjoyed boating and golf. He is survived by his wife, Annie, Kolath and five children, Thomas, Alexander, Diana, Victoria and Sara.
Kolath, who was also a real estate businessman, was attempting to sell the Llenroc mansion in Rexford, the palatial estate overlooking the Mohawk by late insurance magnate Albert Lawrence in the 1990s.
Raghavan completed medical school in his homeland before practicing in Kenya, France and the United States. Locally, his Amsterdam practice focused on pulmonary medicine, critical care and sleep disorders.
For three years, he had been medical director for Quik Flight, that provided air ambulance transportation among other services. The Albany-based air charter company closed in November.
17/06/09 David Filkins/timesunion.com, Albany, New York, USA

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2009, Safety Jun 2009