Well-known Buffalo developer Mark Croce was killed in a helicopter crash in Pennsylvania on Thursday night. Officials say he was traveling with a second man, Michael Capriotto, who also died in the crash.
Both men are from Orchard Park.
The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Reports say the chopper was traveling from Washington, D.C. to Buffalo when it went down in the backyard of a home, just west of Harrisburg.
A flood of calls came in to 911 from people who either saw or heard the crash.
"We didn't see anything, but we were in the living room and we heard a helicopter go over, and then we heard a popping sound and we all looked at each other and were like that's not normal, and so we all jumped out and got our shoes and coats on and went in the yard," said one neighbor.
First responders quickly found the wreckage and the bodies of Croce and Capriotto.
"There's no damage to any of the structures or anything, the homeowners, any of the homes. But everybody else is fine. It's just the helicopter in the yard."
No one on the ground was hurt by the crash.
A family friend of Croce, Ryan Parker, posted photos of the helicopter on Twitter which were taken in June of last year.
Croce was a helicopter and airplane pilot and flew frequently. He owned numerous iconic sites in the city of Buffalo such as the Buffalo Chophouse, Statler City and the Curtiss Hotel.
Capriotto was the owner of a Tim Horton's franchise and a gas station in Orchard Park. He was also a former village trustee.
The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash.