A small plane crashes in New York after takeoff, killing five people, two of them children

On Sunday, June 30, just after taking off at Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, New York, a tiny plane crashed.

The single engine Piper PA 46 was carrying a family of five, which included two boys. Sadly all the passengers lost their lives in the incident that occurred 2 pm in Masonville approximately 90 miles southeast of Syracuse. This information was shared by the New York State Police in a statement released on Monday.

The victims were identified as Roger Beggs, 76, Laura VanEpps, 43, Ryan VanEpps, 42, James R. VanEpps, 12, and Harrison VanEpps, 10.

According to state police, the family was headed back to Georgia following their attendance at a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, which is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

"A multi-agency effort search of the area, with the utilization of drones, ATV’s and helicopters led to the discovery of debris and ultimately to the downed aircraft," state police said.

New York State Police are collaborating with the FAA and the National Transportation Board to investigate and identify the cause of the disaster.