Atlanta News category interest

ATLANTA, Ga. (The Associated Press) - Five members of a family from Roswell who were visiting Cooperstown, New York, for a baseball tournament died when their small plane crashed in a rural part of the state, authorities said Monday.

The single-engine Piper PA-46 crashed around 2 p.m. Sunday after taking off from Albert S. Nader Regional Airport in Oneonta, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The wreckage of the plane and the remains of the five people on board were found Sunday night in the town of Masonville, the New York State Police said in a news release.

The multiagency search involved drones, helicopters and all-terrain vehicles, the police said.

The victims were identified as Roger Beggs, 76, his daughter Laura Van Epps, 43, her husband Ryan Van Epps, 42 and their two children James Van Epps, 12 and Harrison Van Epps, 10.

The family was returning to Georgia after attending a tournament in Cooperstown, the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, police said.

The plane was headed to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta with a fueling stop in West Virginia when it crashed, the state police said.

“We were neighbors. We would see each other every day and we’d always say hi to the boys and they would come over sometimes. They just lived across the street, and we would always wave and say hi and they were lovely,” Neighbor Caroline Slayton said. “We’re all just devastated. They were the kindest family and the sweetest people.”

Family members are now mourning their loss and said they are heartbroken of the devastating news.

“As we grapple with this unimaginable loss, let us come together to remember and celebrate the beautiful lives they lived. Their kindness, laughter, and love will forever be etched in our hearts,” a family member said in a prepared statement.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement offering prayers to the families.

“As we learn of this tragic news, please join Marty, the girls, and me in praying for the loved ones of the Beggs and VanEpps families,” Kemp said. “We offer our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

“May we find strength and solace in the memories and the outpouring of love from all who knew them,” the family added.