BUFFALO, N.Y. — Two men from Orchard Park are dead after a helicopter crashed in Pennsylvania Thursday night.
According to the Cumberland County Coroner's Office, Mark Croce, 58, and Michael Capriotto, 63, were on board the helicopter when it went down in the yard of a home in Mechanicsburg, PA around 8:30 p.m.
A family friend confirmed to 2 On Your Side's Scott Levin that the victim is Mark Croce, the prominent businessman and developer. He owns buildings like the Statler Hotel, the Curtiss Hotel and Buffalo Chop House.
They were traveling from Washington D.C. to Buffalo at the time of the crash. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
The homeowner where the helicopter crashed spoke to our Tegna sister-station WPMT and described what he heard prior to the accident.
Buffalo Development Corporation issued this statement on the social media pages of businesses Croce owned:
Mayor Byron Brown released a statement on Croce's passing this morning on Facebook
I am deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of my dear friend Mark Croce. As owner of the Buffalo Chophouse, the Curtiss Hotel and Statler City, Mark was a big part of our downtown resurgence, adding jobs for residents and creating destinations that have brought many visitors to the City of #Buffalo. His presence will be sorely missed. Please join me in sending prayers of comfort to his family and many friends.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office is also mourning Croce's death. In a tweet Friday morning the Sheriff's Office said he worked with the Reserve Aviation Unit and Reserve Scientific Staff as well.
