Cops: 4 onboard as small plane crashes
A small airplane with four people onboard crashed on takeoff Saturday night in Schoharie County, possibly resulting in multiple fatalities, authorities said.
The crash of the private plane occurred near the town of Esperance.
The Daily Gazette received unconfirmed reports that the crash killed three people and a fourth person was airlifted to Albany Medical Center.
“That’s what we think, but the coroner’s on-scene and nobody has been declared dead,” Schoharie County Sheriff Anthony Desmond said about 9 p.m.
All four were believed to be occupants of the plane. None of their identities were immediately available.
Desmond said the plane took off from a private airport near the Town of Esperance.
“The plane never became fully airborne and it went into the woods just southwest of the airfield,” he said.
The private field, called Hogan Airport, is located in the town of Sloansville. The scene of the crash appears to be near Old Brandon Road in Sloansville.
Tim Hogan, who owns the airfield, told The Daily Gazette he was told three people were killed.
“I wasn’t down there but apparently [three people died], that’s what the state police are telling me,” said Hogan. He said he could not comment further at the time.
“They didn’t gain altitude during takeoff and it went down,” said Desmond of the crash.
Desmond could not say what kind of plane was involved.
“It wasn’t in any shape that I could identify what kind of plane it was,” said Desmond.
Desmond said State Police are investigating the crash and that the National Transportation Safety Board is being advised.
Members of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and about a half-dozen area fire departments responded to the scene, Desmond said.
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