July 1 (UPI) — Five members of an Atlanta-area family died in a small plane crash in New York, the New York State Police said Monday.
At about 2 p.m. Sunday, officers in Masonville in Delaware County responded to reports of the crash and found the bodies of five occupants in the wreckage of a Piper Malibu Mirage. Masonville is 90 miles south of Syracuse, N.Y.
“A multi-agency effort search of the area, with the utilization of drones, ATVs and helicopters, led to the discovery of debris and ultimately to the downed aircraft,” state police said in a statement.
The family members were returning from a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The plane departed from Albert S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta and was headed to Charleston, W.Va., for refueling and was schedule to continue from there to Cobb County International Airport in Georgia.
The victims were identified as Roger Beggs, 73, who held a pilot’s license; along with Laura Van Epps, 43; Ryan Van Epps, 42; James R. Van Epps, 12; and Harrison Van Epps. 10.
The family lived in Alpharetta., according to records obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal of Investigation, Collision Reconstruction Unit, and Forensic Identification Unit are working with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Board to determine the cause of the crash.
The original Piper Malibu Mirage model was certified by the FAA in 1983. The propeller-driven plane seats six.
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