5 killed, including family of 4, in upstate New York small plane crash

Five people were killed Sunday when a small plane crashed in upstate New York.

Among the deceased was a family of four, including two children.

The victims were identified as as Roger Beggs, 76; Laura VanEpps, 43; Ryan VanEpps, 42; James R. VanEpps, 12; and Harrison VanEpps, 10. Beggs is also related to the family.

The group was traveling in the single-engine plane flying home from a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., to Georgia. Authorities said the aircraft took off from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta and crashed in a rural area in Delaware County near Masonville, about 90 miles southeast of Syracuse, around 2 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday. The plane had been scheduled to refuel in West Virginia before flying to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta.

New York State Police said a number of agencies participated in a search, using drones, ATV’s and helicopters to find the debris. The deceased were all discovered in the wreckage.

Officials said the plane was a Piper Malibu Mirage.

The FAA, state police and National Transportation Board are investigating the cause of the crash.