"To help fulfill a long-standing wish of theirs, they booked a flight lesson in Long Island," the GoFundMe reads.
A plane crash on Long Island over the weekend claimed the life of a woman from New Jersey and critically injured her daughter. The mother-daughter duo was on board a small plane, trying to "fulfill a long-standing wish of theirs." They were onboard a Piper PA 28, that crashed in Farmingdale, New York, on the afternoon of March 5, Sunday, "under unknown circumstances," according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mother Roma Gupta, 63, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, was declared dead at the site of the collision, WABC reported. According to News12, her Pennsylvania-based daughter Reeva, age 33, and Bronx-based pilot Fayzul Chowdhury, age 23, both suffered serious injuries. The two survivors were flown to Stony Brook University Medical Center, per PEOPLE.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the small plane's pilot declared a flight emergency as he attempted to make it back to Republic Airport in Farmingdale, roughly 20 miles east of New York City, according to NBC affiliate WNBC. According to the outlet, police said the pilot called "mayday" soon after the aircraft departed that location at around 2:15 p.m., citing smoke in the cockpit.
Roma and Reeva "had a beautiful day planned together," according to a GoFundMe campaign started by physician assistants from Mount Sinai West's (MSW) neurosurgery department. With the flight, the couple hoped to "fulfill a long-standing wish of theirs," they added. Reeva's third-degree burns are being treated at Stony Brook Hospital, said a physician's assistant who works for the Mount Sinai healthcare system, according to WNBC. "On March 5, 2023, Reeva Gupta and her mother Roma had a beautiful day planned together. To help fulfill a long-standing wish of theirs, they booked a flight lesson in Long Island," the GoFundMe reads.
Reeva, described as an "incredible, caring, selfless young woman," faces a very "long, painful recovery," for which the campaign aims to raise funds. "We are raising funds to help support Reeva and her family during this unprecedented trying time, through transportation, lodging, food assistance, and medical expenses. She faces a long, painful recovery, and her family, who needs to be at her bedside, lives far from eastern Long Island," the campaign reads.
The fundraisers pleaded with people to support the family, adding, "Please help support this incredible, caring, selfless young woman as she and her family need the love, caring and consideration that she provides to others every day."
Friends and family of the Guptas have been expressing their support on Facebook. A friend of the family, Pooja Sethi Patel posted on Facebook, "Family means that when any one of us suffers, we are all right there in the thick of it beside them. An integral part of our West Chester family is going through a devastating trauma. Roma Aunty was the most incredible soul, and Reeva Gupta is my baby sister and a force of nature (and the life of any party). Appreciate all prayers and support."
References:
https://bronx.news12.com/police-1-dead-2-critically-injured-in-north-lindenhurst-plane-crash
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-family-of-reeva-and-roma-gupta
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
