BAYONNE -- The Nation Transportation Safety Board has begun its investigation into what caused a small plane to crash in a residential neighborhood Sunday morning. 

The single engine Piper PA-28 aircraft crashed on Avenue E in Bayonne at about 10 a.m. The pilot, 56-year-old George Pettway of Long Island, was the only person injured. He remains hospitalized in stable condition. 

A spokesperson for the NTSB said the agency is looking at what caused the crash, but an update on the investigation was not available Monday afternoon as was initially anticipated. 

No news conferences have been scheduled for a brief on the crash. 

City officials said it appeared Pettway encountered trouble near the Statue of Liberty. A police officer Sunday morning said the pilot was planning an emergency landing. 

The plane flipped upside when it crashed. Three cars were heavily damaged and power was out for hours, but the pilot avoided a gas station and private property. There was no structural damage to any of the nearby homes, officials said.  

Pieces of the plane were scattered around the neighborhood, stuck in telephone wires, and narrowly missed striking the pumps at the nearby gas station. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

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