FERRISBURGH, Vt. — A small aircraft that tragically fell near a Vermont airport in Ferrisburgh during early September was engaged in an instructional flight at the time of the accident, resulting in the fatalities of the student pilot, the instructor, and two passengers, as indicated by an initial report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Authorities have identified the victims of the crash, all hailing from Connecticut, as Delilah Van Ness, a 15-year-old from Middletown; Paul Pelletier, aged 55, from Columbia; Frank Rodriquez, an 88-year-old resident of Lebanon; and Susan Van Ness, 51, also from Middletown.
The four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft embarked on its journey from Windham Airport in Connecticut shortly after 8:30 a.m. on September 8. The flight, destined for Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, was expected to last around two hours. Upon arrival, the group enjoyed a brunch at Basin Harbor, located along the scenic shores of Lake Champlain. Shortly after noon, they departed from the restaurant to return back to Connecticut.
A bystander captured video footage of the plane as it rolled down the runway, although the takeoff itself was not recorded, according to the NTSB report. The airplane ultimately crashed in a wooded area roughly 375 feet (114 meters) east of the runway’s end, as detailed in the investigation findings.
