Tragic reason Georgia family’s plane crashed as grandpa flew them home from baseball game

The Georgia family of five killed in a plane crash in upstate New York was flying through an area of ​​bad weather, officials said.

Flight tracking data reviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board showed the single-engine Piper PA-46 plane was lost “approximately 12 minutes after departure” from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta on Sunday.

“Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was flying from Oneonta, New York to Charleston, West Virginia when it crashed under unknown circumstances. Meteorological data shows storm activity along the flight path,” an NTSB spokesman said Fox news.

The Georgia family had flown to the area for a baseball tournament, where their eldest child hit a home run.

The plane was being flown by the children’s grandfather, 76-year-old Roger Beggs, when it crashed in a rural, wooded area around 2 p.m. Sunday.

Flight tracking data reviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board showed the family flying through an area of ​​”storm activity”

Beggs died in the crash, along with his daughter Laura Van Epps, 43, her husband Ryan, 42, and their two children: 12-year-old James Ryan and his brother Harrison Van Epps, who was 10.

The plane had just taken off from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta when it crashed in Delaware County, near Sidney, about 40 miles northeast of Binghamton.

The family was returning to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta to refuel in West Virginia when the plane crashed, New York State Police said.

Records show that storms were occurring along the flight path, but the plane had not yet landed when the family left.

When the plane took off, winds were blowing at 8 mph. But by the time they reached 8,700 feet, the plane was in the storm cell and likely to encounter turbulence, said Jim Brewster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Binghamton.

The family flew from New York to Georgia after attending a baseball tournament where James Ryan hit a grand slam

Laura’s father had offered to fly the family to the tournament in a single-engine Piper PA-46 aircraft (model pictured)

Data from the plane carrying the family was lost approximately 12 minutes after departure from Alfred S. Nader Regional Airport

“In these storm cells, the air rises very quickly, and in contrast, the air sinks very quickly,” Brewster said. Times Union.

The debris from the plan was scattered over a distance of over a mile and all major parts, except the rudder, have been recovered.

Drones, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters were deployed to search the remote crash site, located about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

The family had begun their return trip to Alpharetta, Georgia, on the outskirts of Atlanta, after watching their 12-year-old son James’ baseball team play in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

James Ryan hit a grand slam during the youth baseball tournament.

His coach, Frank Tumminia Jr., shared the milestone in a heartfelt tribute on Facebook.

“JR Van Epps crushed a GRAND SLAM. His parents were too modest and humble to post about his athletic dominance, so that’s my job today as a coach,” Tumminia said.

Ryan’s sister, Ansley Van Epps, called Laura a lifelong friend and said her nephews were her little buddies

James Ryan’s coach, Frank Tumminia Jr., said he will remember the athlete ‘as the ultimate human being’

‘Mistakes are how kids learn, it’s part of evolution. JR didn’t make mistakes… in any aspect of his life – relationships, school, and thank God if you’ve been beaten by him you know it… every time he touched the field.

‘Today and as long as I live I will be the living testimony of JR. A piece of me was left with him yesterday afternoon. I will remember him as the ultimate human being.’

Ryan’s sister, Ansley Van Epps, created a Facebook group for loved ones called ‘In Loving Memory of The Van Epps Family.’

“Ryan, Laura, James Ryan and Harrison were so wonderful to everyone who knew them. From the moment Laura came into our family, I knew she would be a friend for life,” Ansley said.

“James Ryan and Harrison were my little buddies. My husband taught them to swim and whenever we visited Roswell we spent as much time with them as possible.

“My heart is broken but I feel blessed to call Ryan my brother, Laura my sister-in-law and James Ryan and Harrison my sweet nephews.”