(ProsperNews.net) – Five family members have died in a plane crash in Upstate New York. The family, from Georgia, visited the Empire State for a baseball tournament but were killed when their single-engine Piper PA-46 aircraft crashed near the town of Masonville. The dead were identified as 76-year-old Roger Beggs, 42-year-old Laura Van Epps, 42-year-old Ryan Van Epps, 10-year-old Harrison Van Epps, and 12-year-old James Van Epps.
The private plane departed from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, New York. It was due to refuel in West Virginia before proceeding to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Peach State Governor Brian Kemp described the incident as “tragic” and asked Georgia residents to remember the family in their prayers.
Authorities were dispatched to Lake Cecil Road in Delaware County on the afternoon of July 7 after reports of a possible aircraft accident, a New York State Police press release confirmed. Several law enforcement agencies used drones and helicopters to locate the plane’s debris and the bodies of the deceased.
The press release also noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Board (NTSB) are working with the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and other agencies to determine the cause of the crash.
Ryan’s father, Jim Van Epps, described the incident as a “massive loss for our family.” He explained that his two grandsons were hard-working students with sporting talents and a bright future. “Ryan and Laura supported their boys in whatever endeavor they wanted to do,” he said.
Reports indicate that maternal grandfather Roger Beggs was a licensed pilot who volunteered to fly the family to New York to watch James play in a baseball tournament.
Statistics reveal that there are around 1,000 small plane crashes in the US each year. Just weeks before the Van Epps family died, a twin-engine Piper PA-31 crashed on take-off from Albany International Airport, killing the pilot. In March, five people died in a similar incident in Tennessee.
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