A family of five, including the parents, their two children and their grandfather who was a pilot, have died in a plane crash in upstate New York.
The family, from Georgia, had flown to the region to attend a baseball tournament, where their eldest son hit a home run.
The plane, a single-engine Piper PA-46, was being flown by the children’s grandfather, Roger Beggs, 76, when it went down in a rural, wooded area around 2 p.m. Sunday.
Beggs died in the crash along with her daughter Laura VanEpps, 43, her husband, Ryan, 42, and their two sons, James, 12, and his brother Harrison VanEpps, 10.
The plane had just taken off from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta when it crashed in Delaware County near Sidney, about 40 miles northeast of Binghamton.
The victims of a plane crash in New York have been identified as Laura VanEpps, 43; Ryan VanEpps, 42; James VanEpps, 12; and Harrison VanEpps, 10.
The family had begun their journey back to Alpharetta, Georgia, in the Atlanta suburbs after watching their 12-year-old son James’ baseball team play in a tournament.
The wreckage of the plane and the remains of the five people on board were found Sunday night in the town of Masonville, New York State Police said.
Drones, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters were used to search the remote crash site, which is about 125 miles northwest of New York City.
The family had begun their journey back to Alpharetta, Georgia, in the Atlanta suburbs, after watching their 12-year-old son James’ baseball team play in a tournament in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
James hit a grand slam during the youth baseball tournament.
In an emotional tribute Monday, players at the Oneonta baseball field where James had played Sunday placed their gloves with his initials: JR
“As we deal with this unimaginable loss, let us come together to remember and celebrate the beautiful lives they lived,” the Van Epps family said in a statement posted on Facebook.
‘Her kindness, her laughter and her love will forever be etched in our hearts.’
Parts of the plane’s wreckage were found in a wooded rural area.
Ryan’s father, Jim Van Epps, shared similar sentiments.
“It’s a huge tragedy for our family and the end of five great lives, especially young lives,” Van Epps said of the loss of her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Van Epps said his grandchildren were doing well in school and sports, and that Harrison, 10, was a promising lacrosse player.
“Ryan and Laura supported their children in any project they wanted to undertake,” he said.
Laura Van Epps’ father, Beggs, had volunteered to drive the family to upstate New York and came to watch the tournament with them.
The plane was heading back to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta with a refueling stop in West Virginia when it crashed, state police said.
Grandfather JimVan Epps said his grandchildren were doing well in school and sports, and 10-year-old Harrison (left) was a promising lacrosse player. His parents, Ryan and Laura, were said to be supportive parents.
Baseball players from local teams in the upstate New York community gathered to pay tribute.
In an emotional tribute Monday, players at the Oneonta baseball field where James had played Sunday placed their gloves with his initials: JR
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on social media platform X that he and his family were praying for the victims’ families.
“As we hear this tragic news, please join Marty, the girls and me in praying for the loved ones of the Beggs and VanEpps families,” Kemp wrote.
‘We offer our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them.’
“We were neighbors. We saw each other every day and we always said hi to the kids and they would come over sometimes. They lived across the street from us and we would always say hi and wave and they were lovely,” neighbor Caroline Slayton told Atlanta News First.
“We are all devastated. They were the kindest family and the sweetest people.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.
