A small tourist plane crashed Saturday just after noon in a farm field near Copake, about 80 miles south of Albany. Six people were aboard the aircraft, and at least one has been confirmed dead, according to local police and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B, heading for Columbia County Airport, went down at 12:15 p.m. local time near the Massachusetts border. The crash occurred in a rural, isolated area made nearly impassable by recent rains and snow still scattered across the ground.
Sheriff’s officials stated that the priority remains identifying the victims and securing the area. It remains unclear if there are any survivors or the exact number of injuries.
In a press briefing, Deputy Sheriff Jacqueline Salvatore emphasized the challenges of the rescue efforts: “The plane crashed in the heart of an extremely muddy field, making access difficult, and rescue vehicles are struggling to approach.”
The cause of the crash is still unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is responsible for investigating aviation accidents, has announced that it will provide updates on Sunday. NTSB technicians are already at the scene.
Meanwhile, the FAA confirmed the flight plan was for arrival at the airport near Hudson but did not release further details about the condition of the aircraft prior to the crash.
This tragedy comes just two days after another accident involving a Bell 206 L-4 helicopter, which crashed into the Hudson River, killing six people. The helicopter was conducting a sightseeing tour of New York City with a family of five from Spain when it suddenly fell from the sky and plunged into the cold waters.
Augustin Escobar, Merce Montal, and their three children—Augustin, 10, Mercedes, 8, and Victor, 4—were all killed, along with the helicopter’s pilot, veteran Navy member Sean Johnson. In the hours following the crash, investigators discovered that the helicopter was not equipped with flight data recorders.
