Three members of a New Jersey family were killed Monday evening when a small aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Adirondack Regional Airport in Harrietstown, New York.
New York State Police identified the victims as Gabriele P. Jasper, 70, of Toms River, who was piloting the aircraft, his daughter Gabriella M. Hillgrube, 33, of Forked River, and his 2-year-old granddaughter, Guiliana M. Hillgrube, also of Forked River.
Authorities said the 1976 Piper Aerostar lost communication while approximately 100 feet above the ground moments after departing the airport. Search crews later located the wreckage in a wooded area near the airport, where the aircraft had caught fire. All three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and New York State Police, is investigating the cause of the crash.
The tragedy marks the second fatal plane crash in New York’s Adirondack region in less than two days. On Sunday evening, a separate crash near Piseco Airport claimed the life of a 74-year-old pilot.
