(TheProudRepublic.com) – A tragic aviation incident has resulted in the deaths of five individuals when a small aircraft met with disaster in a densely forested region near Sidney in the northern part of New York state, as reported by local authorities.
The factors contributing to the crash, which occurred on Sunday, remain unclear at this juncture, BNO News reports.
This unfortunate event transpired at 2:00 PM, when a Piper PA-46, a craft equipped with a single engine, encountered fatal complications near Trout Creek.
This locale is situated within Delaware County, approximately five miles to the east of Masonville.
Responders at the scene recounted the presence of an extensive area littered with wreckage within the woods adjacent to Lake Cecil Road and Herrick Hollow Road, positioned just north of Trout Creek.
Despite the exhaustive search efforts that lasted several hours, no survivors were located.
“A multi-agency effort search of the area, with the utilization of drones, ATV’s and helicopters led to the discovery of debris and ultimately to the downed aircraft,” the New York State Police said in a statement.
Subsequent to departing from Oneonta Municipal Airport in Otsego County at 1:40 PM, according to the recorded flight details, the plane, which bore registration in Atlanta, Georgia, carried five passengers.
The deceased were identified as members of a family from Georgia: Roger Beggs, aged 76; Laura VanEpps, aged 43; Ryan VanEpps, aged 42; James R. VanEpps, aged 12; and Harrison VanEpps, aged 10. Their journey to New York was for participation in a baseball tournament in Cooperstown.
In the wake of the incident, both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated inquiries to ascertain the cause of the crash, as announced by the FAA.
The small town of Trout Creek is located roughly 120 miles northwest of New York City, embedding it within a significant distance from the bustling metropolitan area.
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