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.
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.
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.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
Tragedy struck upstate New York this week as authorities confirmed that two children were among the five fatalities in a plane crash that occurred in a rural area near the town of Ellicottville. The small aircraft, a Cessna 172, was reported missing on Tuesday evening after it failed to arrive at its destination in Jamestown.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane took off from North Carolina and was en route to Jamestown when it went off radar. Search and rescue teams were dispatched to locate the aircraft, and it was eventually found in a heavily wooded area near Ellicottville.
Upon arrival at the crash site, emergency responders discovered the wreckage of the plane and confirmed that all five occupants had been killed in the crash. Among the victims were two children, whose ages have not been released to the public. The other three victims have been identified as the pilot and two adult passengers.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and officials are working to determine what factors may have contributed to the tragic incident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been called in to assist with the investigation, and a preliminary report is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
In the wake of this devastating event, local authorities are urging the community to come together to support the families of the victims and to keep them in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. The loss of two young lives is especially heartbreaking, and the entire community is mourning the tragic loss.
As more information becomes available about the circumstances surrounding the crash, it is important for authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine what went wrong and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. In the meantime, our thoughts are with the families of the victims as they navigate this unimaginable loss.
