Five family members die in a plane crash following a Cooperstown baseball tournament.
Five family members who were in Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament died in a plane crash over the weekend.
According to a New York State Police press release obtained by NBC News, the fatal crash took place on June 30, 2024, in Masonville, New York, which is approximately 50 miles south of Cooperstown.
New York State Police responded to afternoon reports of a potential plane crash Sunday and a coordinated search effort among multiple agencies led to the discovery of crash debris and the aircraft. The plane was identified as a Piper Malibu Mirage, a single-engine, piston-powered light aircraft.
All five of the plane’s passengers died and were members of the same Georgia family, according to the release. They were identified as:
- Roger Beggs, 76
- Laura VanEpps, 43
- Ryan VanEpps, 42
- James R. VanEpps, 12
- Harrison VanEpps, 10
They are said to have departed in the aircraft from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, New York. The plane was traveling to West Virginia for refueling with Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, as its final destination.
