State Police investigators and a Federal Aviation Administration official were at the wooded scene of a small plane crash Sunday that killed three people and critically injured another.
Police would not answer questions at the privately owned air strip, saying the crash of a Piper PA-28 just outside the airport perimeter Saturday evening is still under investigation.
Schoharie County Sheriff Anthony Desmond said Sunday that three bodies were removed from the wreckage and transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital, where autopsies will be performed Monday. Schoharie County Coroner Matthew Coltrain declared the passengers deceased at the scene.
Desmond said a fourth injured male passenger was flown to Albany Medical Center Hospital, but he said the person might have then been transferred elsewhere, as they suffered from burns.
The sheriff said the plane took off from the air strip called Hogan Airport, 212 Brandon Road, in the town of Esperance, and managed to stay airborne for about 1,000 feet before crashing southwest of the airport into a woody, swampy area. On Sunday, police were restricting access to a gravel, private road that runs along the air strip property named Whitetail Lane. A State Police helicopter was also stationed at the air strip, and was occasionally taking off to view the crash area.
The air strip, which sits on the border between Schoharie and Montgomery counties, is listed as being owned by Tim Hogan, who has an address near the air strip and in Bedford Hills, Westchester County.
A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the aircraft was destroyed by fire in the accident. There was no information immediately available about who the plane was registered to.
Desmond said he did not know the identities of the victims, but said they were apparently traveling back to Connecticut when the crash happened.
State Police are handling the investigation out of the Cobleskill barracks.
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