Police say four people were killed in a plane crash in New England, including a young woman taking flying lessons

A teenager taking flying lessons, her high school flight instructor, her mother and an elderly gentleman were all on a private plane that crashed while flying from Middletown, Connecticut, to Ferrisburgh, Vermont, for brunch on Sunday, police and school officials said Monday.

According to Vermont State Police, a four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft departed Windham Airport at approximately 8:30 a.m. for an approximately two-hour flight to Basin Harbor Airport to make a brunch reservation.

Delilah Van Ness, 15, and her mother, 51-year-old Susan Van Ness, both of Middletown, 55-year-old Paul Pelletier of Columbia and 88-year-old Frank Rodriquez of Lebanon, left their brunch outing shortly after noon and were scheduled to fly back to Connecticut, Middletown police and Vermont State Police said.

A witness reported seeing the plane on the runway around 12:15 p.m. but not seeing it take off. When the plane did not return to Connecticut as expected, relatives of the passengers reported the situation to the Connecticut State Police and the Middletown Police Department, according to Vermont authorities.

“No reports were received indicating an aircraft in distress or a plane crash,” the Vermont State Police said in a press release.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) then determined, using cell phone location data, that the plane was last seen near the runway in Vermont. Middletown police then notified Vermont State Police of the situation at around 10:20 p.m. on Sunday, and a large-scale emergency search was initiated in the area around the runway.

With the help of a drone flown by Middlebury police, state police investigators discovered the wreckage of the plane around 12:20 a.m. Monday in a wooded area east of Basin Harbor Airport.

All four people on board the plane were pronounced dead at the crash scene. The bodies of the victims were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

Officials determined that Delilah Van Ness was a sophomore at Middletown High School and was studying under Pelletier, who taught aerospace and manufacturing engineering at the same school.

“This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community,” said Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos, superintendent of Middletown Public Schools. “Paul, Delilah and Susan were special people whose absence is already felt throughout our district and city.”

Matos said the high school will remain closed Tuesday and fall sports will be postponed following the crash. Crisis teams and support staff will also be available during normal school hours.

Middletown police added: “Our sincere condolences go out to the families, friends and students affected by this tragedy.”

The relationship between Frank Rodriquez and the other three victims was not immediately clear.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates as more information becomes available.

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