A preliminary crash report from the National Transportation Safety Board indicates weather may have played a role in the plane crash that killed five members of an Atlanta family.
Laura, Ryan, James and Harrison Van Epps and Laura’s father Roger Beggs were killed Sunday in a crash while returning to Georgia from a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York.
Officials said Channel 2 Action News that the Piper plane was en route from Oneonta, New York to Charleston, West Virginia, when it crashed under unknown circumstances.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The plane was scheduled to land in West Virginia to refuel before continuing its flight to Cobb County International Airport. The crash itself occurred around 1:40 p.m. Sunday, the NTSB said.
According to an NTSB spokesman, preliminary data from the investigation, which began July 1, indicated that meteorological data on June 30 indicated storm activity along the plane’s path.
“The aircraft departed Oneonta at approximately 1:40 p.m. Flight tracking data was lost approximately 12 minutes after departure. The aircraft crashed near Trout Creek,” the NTSB said in a statement.
In total, the debris trail from the crash was about a mile long, with officials saying all major parts of the plane have been recovered except the rudder. The NTSB is asking residents who may have found material that could be an airplane to contact the agency by email.
The remains of the aircraft have been recovered and taken to an off-site location for further examination as part of the investigation.
As for the investigation process, the NTSB says it normally focuses on three factors when investigating plane crashes: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.
The NTSB will release a more extensive preliminary report within 30 days, but a final report on the cause of the crash will not be available for up to two years, officials said.
RELATED STORIES
Channel 2’s Audrey Washington was at Richmond Glen Circle on Monday, where she learned more about the family from neighbors.
“It’s a whole family. I mean, it’s part of our neighborhood,” neighbor Paul Cruz told Washington, growing emotional. “It’s not something you want to hear.”
A local baseball coach told Channel 2 Action News that James and Harrison were popular among their peers and that the baseball community privately expressed their condolences.
A video shared with Channel 2 Action News On Tuesday, 12-year-old James Van Epps was seen hitting a grand slam during the youth baseball tournament in Cooperstown, just days before the family’s tragic death.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Van Epps family, Ansley Van Epps called on the community to come together to remember and celebrate the lives of the victims.
“Their kindness, laughter and love will be forever etched in our hearts. Please keep their loved ones and our family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. May we find strength and comfort in the memories and outpouring of love from everyone who knew them,” the statement said.
Separately, Gov. Brian Kemp also shared his condolences on Monday, saying, “As we hear this tragic news, please join Marty, the girls and me in praying for the loved ones of the Beggs and Van Epps families. We extend our deepest sympathies to all who knew and loved them.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
IN OTHER NEWS:
