A family of four died in a small plane crash in upstate New York, along with their pilot, as they went to make their way home to Georgia following a baseball tournament west of Albany, officials said Monday.
The single-engine Piper PA-46 crashed around 2 p.m. Sunday near the village of Sidney after taking off from Albert S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
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, according to New York State Police.
Five bodies were inside the Piper Malibu Mirage.
The victims have been identified as Laura Van Epps, 43, Ryan Van Epps, 42, James Van Epps, 12, Harrison Van Epps, 10; and Roger Beggs, 76. Beggs was piloting the aircraft when it went down.
The passengers are all family members from Georgia and were in Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament over the weekend. The accident happened on their way to West Virginia to refuel; they were headed home from there.
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The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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No other details were immediately available Monday.
The governor of Georgia acknowledged the tragedy in a post on X Monday afternoon.
