Builder to Stars Killed in LI Plane Crash; Search Suspended

An East End institution vanished Saturday as a private plane, whipped by a sudden squall, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, New York. WNBC New York reports:

A well-known home builder who catered to the rich and famous in the Hamptons was on a small plane that crashed into the ocean, officials said Sunday.

Bernard Krupinski and his wife, Bonnie, both age 70, were aboard the Piper PA31 that crashed Saturday afternoon, East Hampton police said. Also onboard was their 22-year-old grandson, William Maerov, and the pilot, Jon Dillard, 47, of Hampton Bays.

Bernard Krupinski's clients included Martha Stewart and Billy Joel. Krupinski grew up in East Hampton before starting his business, Ben Krupinski Builders, there.