Five family members killed in New York plane crash

Five members of a family from Georgia who were visiting Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament died when their small plane crashed in a rural, wooded area, authorities said Monday.

The single-engine Piper PA-46 crashed around 2pm on Sunday after taking off from a regional airport in Oneonta, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The wreckage of the plane and the remains of the five people on board were found Sunday night in the town of Masonville, the New York State Police said in a news release. Drones, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters were used to search for the remote crash site, which is about 125 miles (200 kilometres) northwest of New York City.

The victims were identified as Roger Beggs, 76; Laura Van Epps, 42; Ryan Van Epps, 42; James Van Epps, 12; and Harrison Van Epps, 10.

The family was returning to Georgia after watching the 12-year-old boy's baseball team play in a tournament in Cooperstown, the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Associated Press