Families departing from a baseball event perish in a terrible collision

A family of five who had travelled to upstate New York for a youth baseball tournament perished in a horrific plane crash on June 30. The family was travelling from Oneonta Municipal Airport in central New York in a single-engine Piper Malibu Mirage aircraft.

According to CNN, the plane went down in Masonville, New York, some 90 miles southeast of Syracuse. Roger Beggs, 76; Laura VanEpps, 43; Ryan VanEpps, 42; James R. VanEpps, 12; and Harrison VanEpps, 10 were the victims of this tragic event.

After staying in Cooperstown, New York—home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and site of the baseball tournament—the family had been travelling back to Georgia. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, local police reported receiving a report of a potential crash. They used helicopters, drones, and ATVs to start a search near Lake Cecil Road.

This lengthy search eventually yielded the location of the accident site and the downed jet. Roger Beggs was the plane’s pilot, based on reports. People said that the flight plan called for a refuelling stop in West Virginia before continuing on to Atlanta.

On Monday, July 1, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp sent his condolences on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Please join Marty, the daughters, and me in praying for the families of Beggs and VanEpps as we learn of this awful news.

To everyone who knew and loved them, we extend our sincere condolences,” he added. Please join Marty, the girls, and me in praying for the Beggs and VanEpps families’ loved ones as we learn of this awful news. To everyone who knew and loved them, we extend our sincere sympathies. The URL is t.co/HZU0YzDg1x. — July 1, 2024, Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp)

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. https://t.co/HZU0YzDg1x

— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) July 1, 2024

Ansley VanEpps, the sister of Ryan VanEpps, also expressed her anguish and grief over the deaths of her family members. To ascertain the cause of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), state police, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are working together on an investigation.

During this sad time, our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the VanEpps family and friends.