Storm activity, mile-long debris path: Details of fatal Delaware County plane crash emerge

More details are being released about a fatal plane crash in Delaware County on Sunday, after a federal investigator arrived at the crash site.

The crash of a small single-engine plane near Sidney killed five people. The occupants were a family from Georgia, including two children, who were returning home after attending a weekend baseball tournament in Cooperstown, according to New York State Police.

While the cause of the crash hasn't been determined, the National Transportation Safety Board released new information Tuesday morning after one of its investigators examined the crash site Monday afternoon.

The Piper Malibu Mirage took off from Albert S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta around 1:40 p.m. Monday, and flight tracking data was lost about 12 minutes after departure, the agency said.

The plane crashed in the area of Trout Creek, southeast of Sidney. Meteorological data shows storm activity along the flight path, although there is no indication at this time if that contributed to the crash.

The debris path is about a mile long, the National Transportation Safety Board said. All major portions of the plane have been located except for the rudder. The wreckage is being transported to an off-site facility for further evaluation.

State police identified the victims of the crash as Roger Beggs, 76, Laura VanEpps and her husband Ryan VanEpps, both 42, and their children James R. VanEpps, 12, and Harrison VanEpps, 10.

State police confirmed Beggs was the pilot and was also the father of Laura VanEpps.

The investigation will focus on the pilot, the aircraft itself and operating conditions at the time, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

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The agency will issue a preliminary report within 30 days, although a final report with conclusions about probable cause and contributing factors won't be completed for 12 to 24 months.

In the meantime, the agency encourages anyone who finds material that could be plane wreckage, or who witnessed the crash or has video, to report it via email at witness@ntsb.gov.

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