Investement banker from Greenhill & Co, Jeffrey Buckalew and Rakesh Chawla killed in New Jersey plane crash

Two New York City investment bankers died earlier today when the small aircraft they were traveling in crashed along a major highway in New Jersey.

Motorists called 911 after witnessing the Socata TBM-700 single-engine turboprop aircraft taking a nose dive along I-287 in Harding, New Jersey, around 10:00 a.m today.

The out-of-control plan, which had disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Teterboro Airport, went down killing the Managing Director of Greenhill & Co Jeffrey F. Buckalew, a licensed pilot and the plane’s pilot.

Also killed in the crash were Buckalew’s wife, Corinne, and their two children, Jackson and Meriwether, along with Buckalew’s colleague Rakesh Chawla.

 The aircraft was headed to DeKalb Peachtree Airport near Atlanta.

One eyewitness told reporters that the plane looked like it “was doing tricks or something… [and] I though any second they were going to pull up…but then the wing came off and they went straight down.”

Greenhill & Co., which is located on Park Avenue, released a statement saying in part: “The firm is in deep mourning over the tragic and untimely death of two of its esteemed colleagues and members of Jeff’s family.”