By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — A former doctor at St. Vincent's Hospital and two of her family members were killed Monday evening, after the small plane she was piloting crashed at a New Jersey airport, newspapers reported.
Dr. Margaret Smith, 70, a noted rheumatologist with positions at New York Medical College and the now defunct St. Vincent's Hospital, lost control of the single engine plane as she attempted to land at Essex County Airport in New Jersey around 5:30 p.m., the Star-Ledger said.
Her two passengers, Michael Ferguson, 44, and his wife, Theresa, relatives of Smith, were also killed in the crash, according to the New York Daily News.
They were identified as her stepson and his wife, the New York Post reported.
A half dozen grieving family members accompanied Smith's husband, Dr. Matthew Ferguson, as he entered the couple's West 11th Street townhouse, Monday night, the News said.
"[She was] just the nicest person," neighbor Scott Hoyt, 39, told the paper. "She was saintly ... you could see it in her face."
Smith, whose husband was also a doctor at St. Vincent's, was once the Program Director of Internal Medicine at the hospital. The 41-year veteran physician also served as senior associate dean and professor of clinical medicine at New York Medical College, according to an online professional biography.
"The most gratifying aspect of her career is watching the progress of her students and residents," the profile stated.
Smith also listed "flying airplanes" and "cooking" among her hobbies and attributed her success to the flexibility and support of her family.
