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Four people, including a teenage girl, have been killed after their plane crashed in New England on Sunday, according to Vermont State Police (VSP).
Delilah Van Ness, 15, was in the four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft with her mother, Susan Van Ness, 51, to go for brunch, according to a VSP news release.
Boston 25 News reported that the mother and daughter were accompanied by licensed pilot Paul Pelletier, 55, and passenger Frank Rodruiguez, 88.
Middletown police said Delilah was a pupil at Middletown High School and was taking flying lessons with Pelletier, the school’s aviation technology teacher. Rodriguez's relation to the other victims is currently unknown.
Investigators have determined that the four flew from Windham Airport in Connecticut at around 8.30am local time on Sunday, arriving at Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, for a brunch reservation around two hours later.
The group left the restaurant shortly after midday and were due to fly back to Connecticut, with a witness claiming to have seen the airplane on the Basin Harbor runway at approximately 12.15pm.
When the flight failed to return, family members of the four occupants in the plane reported their concerns to the Connecticut State Police (CSP) and the Middletown Police Department (MPD).
Together, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), those agencies determined the plane's last known location was near the airstrip in Vermont using cell phone location data.
The VSP said no reports were received at the time, which would have indicated an aircraft in distress or that a plane had crashed.
Middlebury Police Department (who had been notified along with the City of Vergennes Fire Department and Vermont State Police), located the wreckage of the aircraft in a woodland area to the east of Basin Habor Airport at about 12.20am the following day.
All four bodies have been recovered from the site.
“This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community,” said Dr Alberto Vázquez Matos, superintendent of Middletown public schools, per the Boston 25 Newsreport.
“Paul, Delilah, and Susan were special individuals whose absence is already being felt throughout our district and city.”
The outlet also reported that Dr Matos said the high school will be closed Tuesday, with fall athletic events to be rescheduled. Extra support staff and crisis teams will also be available during normal school hours.
The Middletown Police Department added: “Our sincerest condolences go out to the family, friends, and students who were affected by this tragedy.”
Taking the lead on the ongoing and active investigation are the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
