MANHATTAN

NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN SECOND HELICOPTER CRASH

A preliminary examination of the corporate helicopter that crashed into the East River Friday afternoon found no evidence of a pre-existing mechanical problem, Lauren Peduzzi of the National Transportation Safety Board said.

The aircraft, which was the second to crash into Manhattan waters last week, was moved yesterday to a recovery facility in Delaware, where a more thorough investigation will be conducted. The engine was shipped separately to its manufacturer in Dallas, Texas, and the helicopter’s Digital Electronic Computer Units were sent to their manufacturer in France.

“At this point, it’s such a new investigation,” Ms. Peduzzi said. “We’re still gathering information; we’re not analyzing anything yet.” NTSB will not release a statement of cause until it has completed its investigation, Ms. Peduzzi said.

– Special to the Sun

STRINGER REPORT SHOWS COMMUNITY BOARD DISCREPANCIES

A report exposing unreported lobbying, conflicts of interest, and unequal allotment of funds among Manhattan’s community boards was released by assemblyman and candidate for Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer yesterday.

The report found that consultants and attorneys engaged in lobbying activities before community boards 1, 6, and 8 but failed to register with the city clerk. Additionally, registered lobbyists did not disclose their activities before community boards 4, 6, and 7.

“I’m not suggesting these people were purposefully violating the rules, I’m just saying there’s no enforcement mechanism, no communication,” Mr. Stringer said. “As borough president, [I am] going to make things more transparent.”

The report also found that only two community boards in Manhattan have a full board and that there are wide disparities in the allocation of funds to the borough’s different boards.

– Special to the Sun

BROOKLYN

MAN SHOT AT LATE-NIGHT BARBECUE IN CROWN HEIGHTS

A Brooklyn man was shot to death during a pre-Father’s Day barbecue in Crown Heights, police said yesterday. At about 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, the man, identified as Linell Plair, was with friends and family members enjoying a late-night barbecue opposite a basketball court on McKeever Place when an unidentified man approached and fired a yet unknown number of gunshots. He then fled in a silver sedan.

According to police, Plair was struck twice: once in the stomach and once in the back. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he died 30 minutes later.

Plair, 29, had four prior arrests, police officials said. Two were for robberies, one for criminal possession of a weapon, and one for driving while under the influence of alcohol. It was unclear yesterday if Plair had been convicted for any of the alleged offenses. The shooting occurred at the former site of Ebbets Field, which was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

TWO STABBED IN FIGHT AT CHUCK E. CHEESE

A spat among two girls at a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party in downtown Brooklyn erupted into a fight between their mothers and random customers over the weekend, two of whom were stabbed in the stomach, and one was arrested for assault, police said yesterday.

At about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, police said, parents and other customers joined the fracas and began fighting after two girls began kicking each other.

The pizza chain, which bills itself as the “magical place for families,” is located on the third floor of the Atlantic Terminal Mall at Atlantic and Flatbush avenues.

Police said three men had ganged up on one adult, and were beating him excessively, when two other men attempted to jump in and help the wounded man.

Shortly after, the two men who helped the wounded man were stabbed in the stomach with a knife, police said. Both men were in stable condition yesterday.

Police have so far arrested one man allegedly involved in the melee, Neron Banks, 28, who is charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, both misdemeanors. He was in custody yesterday and could not be reached.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun