SOUTH PORTLAND —  Western Avenue is open to traffic following a small single-engine plane crash Saturday afternoon that killed two men.

South Portland Police assisted representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration this morning in removing the Aerostar Yak-52 from the roadway. The plane crashed on Western Avenue shortly after takeoff on Saturday, coming to rest on Western Avenue in front of the Staples plaza near the corner of Maine Mall Road.

Additional Photos

Workers load the plane that crashed Saturday at the Portland International Jetport onto a flatbed attached to a trailer today on Western Avenue in South Portland. Melanie Creamer photo

South Portland Police Chief Ed Googins said it has completed its part in the investigation.

Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration were at the crash site and escorted the plane to a hangar at the Portland International Jetport just before noon.

City officials on Saturday identified the occupants as Mark Haskell, 42, of Brunswick and Thomas Casagrande, 66, of Portland. The plane was registered to Haskell, an air traffic controller for more than 20 years.

Haskell and his wife, Alison, purchased the plane in 2001 and named it Lizzy-Lou after their daughter, who was born on the same day they signed the contract.

“Mark’s death in this terrible accident leaves all of us who knew him and his deep love of aviation very shocked and saddened,” Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement. “We extend our deepest sympathies to Mark’s wife, Alison, his children, all of his family and friends, and his NATCA brothers and sisters at Portland Tower and TRACON, where he was loved and admired for his leadership, warm demeanor and sense of humor. We also extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Casagrande. We grieve with all of them today on their tragic loss.”

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