On June 30, a tragic plane crash took the lives of a family of five who had traveled to upstate New York for a youth baseball tournament.
The family was flying in a single-engine Piper Malibu Mirage plane that took off from Oneonta Municipal Airport in central New York. The plane crashed in Masonville, New York, which is about 90 miles southeast of Syracuse, according to CNN.
The victims of this heartbreaking accident were Roger Beggs, 76; Laura VanEpps, 43; Ryan VanEpps, 42; James R. VanEpps, 12; and Harrison VanEpps, 10.
The family was flying back to Georgia after visiting Cooperstown, New York, where they attended a youth baseball tournament and visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Local police got a report of a possible plane crash around 2 p.m. on Sunday. They started a search in the Lake Cecil Road area using helicopters, drones, and ATVs. After an extensive search, they found the crash site and the downed plane.
Roger Beggs was the pilot of the plane. The flight plan showed that the family was supposed to stop in West Virginia to refuel before heading to Atlanta, according to People.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp shared his condolences on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, July 1. He wrote, “As we learn of this tragic news, please join Marty, the girls, and me in praying for the loved ones of the Beggs and VanEpps families. We offer our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them.”
Ryan VanEpps’ sister, Ansley, also expressed her grief over the loss of her family members.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and state police are working together to find out what caused the crash.
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the VanEpps family and their friends during this tragic time.
