Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board have revealed additional information about the tragic private plane crash that claimed the lives of four individuals from Connecticut. The incident occurred near the Basin Harbor airstrip on Sunday.
When Kurt Gibson, an aviation accident investigator for the board, arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning, he meticulously surveyed and documented all the significant components of the aircraft.
Gibson informed reporters in a field near the airstrip on Tuesday afternoon that the wreckage will be recovered later today and sent to a salvage facility. He mentioned that the examination of the wreckage will take place at a later date.
The Piper Arrow, a four-person Piper PA-28R-180 aircraft, took off from Windham Airport in Connecticut on Sunday morning. After making a lunch reservation at Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, the group landed and then departed the airstrip at around 12:25 p.m.
Relatives of the group contacted Connecticut State Police when the plane failed to return to Connecticut as scheduled. Around 12:20 a.m. on Monday, Vermont state and local police located the crash site.
The four victims of the incident have been identified by the Vermont State Police. They are Paul Pelletier, a 55-year-old resident of Columbia, Connecticut; Frank Rodriguez, an 88-year-old resident of Lebanon, Connecticut; Susan Van Ness, a 51-year-old resident of Middletown, Connecticut; and Delilah Van Ness, a 15-year-old resident of Middletown, Connecticut.
Basin Harbor Airport operates as a private, uncontrolled facility, meaning it does not have air traffic control or a control tower, according to Gibson.
According to the pilot, the procedure entails radio communication where each pilot shares their location and intentions with others.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration, will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the crash. According to Gibson, a preliminary report containing details about the incident will be made available within 30 days. Furthermore, a final report pinpointing the most likely cause of the crash will be released within a timeframe of 18 to 24 months.