A family of five from Georgia has died in a small plane crash in upstate New York after leaving a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, police say.
The victims, identified as Harrison VanEpps, 10, James VanEpps, 12, Ryan VanEpps, 42, Laura VanEpps, 43 and Roger Beggs, 76, were killed Sunday afternoon in the accident near Lake Cecil Road in the town of Masonville, according to New York State Police.
“All of the passengers are family members from the state of Georgia and were in Cooperstown, NY for a baseball tournament,” police said.
“The plane departed from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, NY and was traveling to West Virginia to refuel with its ultimate destination as Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia,” State Police added.
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Cooperstown is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday called the incident “tragic,” and asked the public to join him and his family “in praying for the loved ones of the Beggs and VanEpps families,” WSB-TV reported.
“We offer our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them,” the governor reportedly added.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board, told Fox News Digital that the plane involved in the crash was a single-engine Piper PA-46.
All those on board the plane died, the FAA added.
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An NTSB spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency is looking for witness reports as they “will be very helpful to the investigation.”
“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,” New York State Police said.
New York State Police added that its “Bureau of Criminal of Investigation, Collision Reconstruction Unit, and Forensic Identification Unit are working in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Board to determine the cause of the crash.”
