Chesed Shel Emes Provide Kavod HaMes for NJ Doctor

BARRINGTON, NY — A small plane crash has killed an emergency room doctor from New Jersey who was flying to work at a hospital in upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region.

Yates County Sheriff Ronald Spike tells local media that Dr. Michael S. Lippe (LIH’-pee) of Mahwah, N.J., was partially thrown from the plane when it clipped some trees, lost a wing and tumbled into a wooded area in the town of Barrington, about 50 miles south of Rochester.

He said the 56-year-old pilot was alone in the single-engine plane, which left Essex County Caldwell Field Airport just after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. It crashed a few minutes before its scheduled arrival at Penn Yan Airport. Authorities say there was freezing rain and sleet in the area.

Lippe was married with four daughters. Federal aviation safety officials will investigate.

The family of Dr. Lippe, who was Jewish, asked that no autopsy be performed in accordance with the Jewish faith. Chesed Shel Emes traveled out to the remote scene to make sure propor Kovod Hames was given.

Dr. Lippe served as the emergency room director at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern for 15 years was a licensed pilot who flew many volunteer missions for medical flight organizations. He also served as medical director for Rockland Paramedics for many years and helped many Rockland ambulance and Hatzalah.