5 members of Georgia family killed when small plane crashes in New York
MASONVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — A Georgia family of five, visiting Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament, tragically lost their lives when their small plane crashed in a wooded, rural area, authorities reported on Monday.
The single-engine Piper PA-46 went down around 2 p.m. Sunday after departing from Oneonta’s regional airport, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The crash site, located in Masonville—about 125 miles northwest of New York City—was discovered Sunday night, the New York State Police confirmed. The search effort utilized drones, all-terrain vehicles, and helicopters to locate the remote wreckage.
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 had been returning to Georgia after attending a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, where the 12-year-old had played.
“It’s an unimaginable tragedy for our family, the loss of five wonderful lives, especially the young ones,” said Jim Van Epps, mourning the deaths of his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Jim Van Epps told The Associated Press that his grandsons, residents of Milton, a suburb of Atlanta, excelled in both academics and sports. Ten-year-old Harrison was particularly recognized as a promising lacrosse player.
“Ryan and Laura always supported their boys in whatever pursuits they chose,” he said.
Online records confirm that Roger Beggs, Laura’s father, held a pilot’s license. Jim Van Epps explained that Beggs had offered to fly the family to upstate New York and joined them to watch the baseball tournament.
The plane was en route to Cobb County International Airport near Atlanta, with a planned fueling stop in West Virginia, when it crashed, according to state police.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp expressed condolences on the social media platform X, offering prayers for the victims’ families and saying, “Our deepest sympathies go out to all who knew and loved them.”
The crash is under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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This report has been updated to correct the spelling of the family’s last name to Van Epps, not VanEpps, and to clarify Laura Van Epps’ age as 42, not 43, as initially reported by police.
