Y. - In a devastating incident, five members of a family from Georgia lost their lives when their small plane crashed in a rural area near Cooperstown, New York. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the single-engine Piper PA-46 went down around 2 p.m. on Sunday after taking off from a regional airport in Oneonta.

The wreckage of the aircraft and the remains of the victims were discovered on Sunday night in the town of Masonville, according to a news release by the New York State Police. The search for the crash site was aided by the use of drones, all-terrain vehicles, and helicopters due to the remote location, approximately 125 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

The victims have been identified as Roger Beggs, 76; Laura Van Epps, 42; Ryan Van Epps, 42; James Van Epps, 12; and Harrison Van Epps, 10. The family had been in Cooperstown to support their 12-year-old son's baseball team, who were participating in a tournament at the renowned Baseball Hall of Fame. It is a heartbreaking loss for the Van Epps family, with Jim Van Epps expressing his deep sorrow for the tragedy that has taken away his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.

Jim Van Epps also shared with The Associated Press that his grandsons were excelling in both academics and sports. Harrison, just 10 years old, was already making strides as a promising lacrosse player. He praised Ryan and Laura for their unwavering support of their boys' passions and endeavors.

According to online records, Roger Beggs, one of the victims, held a pilot's license. Jim Van Epps revealed that Laura Van Epps' father had volunteered to fly the family to upstate New York and had accompanied them to the tournament.

The ill-fated aircraft was en route to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta, with a scheduled fueling stop in West Virginia when it tragically crashed, as reported by the state police.

Expressing his sympathies, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp took to social media to convey his prayers and deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated investigations to determine the cause of the crash.

This update also corrects the spelling of the family's last name to Van Epps, not VanEpps, and Laura Van Epps' age to 42, not 43 as initially reported by the police.