TARENTUM — A Western Pennsylvania teen injured in a small plane crash along with a fellow middle school student faces a long recovery after breaking his neck in three places.

The father of 14-year-old Matthew Strenkowski says the boy also fractured vertebrae in his back and suffered a bad cut to his leg when the plane he was riding in Wednesday crashed during takeoff at a small airport in West Deer Township, Allegheny County.

Gerald Strenkowski said his son had two surgeries following the crash that also injured a 13-year-old fellow Burrell School District student. A science teacher at the school and the pilot also were aboard when the plane tumbled over an embankment at the end of the runway.

Pilot John Greco also remains hospitalized.