Three Killed in Small Plane Crash in Northern New York

HARRIETSTOWN, N.Y. – Federal aviation authorities have confirmed that three individuals lost their lives in a small plane crash that occurred in Northern New York late Monday night. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

According to data from FlightAware, a plane registered to Jasper Air LLC, an aviation company based in Ocean City, New Jersey, arrived in the Saranac Lake area on Monday. The aircraft departed from the Adirondack Regional Airport later that same evening.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the crash happened during takeoff from the airport. The plane crashed into a wooded area along a section of the Adirondack Rail Trail, approximately 2 miles from the airport, located northwest of Saranac Lake in Harrietstown.

New York State Police received a report around 11:15 p.m. about a downed aircraft near Hearf’s Way and State Route 186, close to the Adirondack Regional Airport. They mentioned that the two-engine Piper Aerostar took off from the airport just after 10:30 p.m. and lost communication shortly thereafter.

Search teams discovered the aircraft, which had been destroyed by the impact and a subsequent post-crash fire in a wooded area. The FAA confirmed that the pilot and two passengers aboard the plane died in the crash.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the segment of the rail trail where the plane crashed, between McMaster Road and Route 186, remained closed to pedestrians and cyclists.

“We were confused and a little upset because we had to take a five-mile detour, but they didn’t provide us with any information,” said biker Zach Benn.

Benn was unaware of the plane crash in the area and expressed his emotional reaction upon learning about it.

“It’s obviously terrible. What can you say about a plane crash? It’s not good,” Benn said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the plane has been recovered. However, there is still no official information regarding the identities of the pilot or passengers, nor the exact cause of the crash.