2 children among 5 dead after plane crashes in upstate New York: Police
2 children among 5 dead after plane crashes in upstate New York: Police
The victims were between 10 and 76 years old.
ByLeah Sarnoff
July 1, 2024, 3:29 PM
Five people, including two children, were killed Sunday in a plane crash in upstate New York, police said.
The victims were family members from Georgia. They were headed back to Atlanta after a trip to Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament, police said.
The victims were Roger Beggs, 76; Laura VanEpps, 43; Ryan VanEpps, 42; James R. VanEpps, 12; and Harrison VanEpps, 10, according to police.
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On Sunday at approximately 2 p.m., state police said authorities were dispatched for a possible plane crash near Lake Cecil Road in Masonville, New York.
Piper PA-46-310P Malibu on final-approach in an undated photo.Aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty
Officials said the downed plane -- a single-engine aircraft called the Piper Malibu Mirage -- was discovered after a multi-agency search of the area using drones, ATVs and helicopters.
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The plane initially departed from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, New York, and was traveling to West Virginia to refuel with its ultimate destination being Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, police said.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal of Investigation, Collision Reconstruction Unit, and Forensic Identification Unit are working in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Board (NTSB) on the investigation.