Among the victims of the plane crash in Vermont are teachers and students from Middletown High School

FERRISBURGH, VT (WFSB) – Four people were killed when a plane bound for Connecticut crashed in Vermont on Sunday, according to Vermont State Police.

Police said Monday they recovered the bodies of the four victims in Addison County.

They identified the victims as 55-year-old Paul Pelletier of Columbia, CT, 88-year-old Frank Rodriquez of Lebanon, CT, 51-year-old Susan Van Ness of Middletown, CT, and 15-year-old Delilah Van Ness of Middletown, CT.

Middletown, Connecticut police confirmed that Pelletier was an aviation teacher at Middletown High School and Vanness was one of his students.

Middletown Public Schools announced that the high school would be closed Tuesday.

“A preliminary investigation determined that the four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft departed from Windham Airport in Connecticut at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 8, and flew approximately two hours to Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh,” Vermont State Police said. “Investigators determined that the private plane landed and the occupants arrived at a brunch reservation in Basin Harbor. The group left the restaurant shortly after noon and planned to fly back to Connecticut. A witness reported seeing the aircraft on the runway at approximately 12:15 p.m.”

Police said there were no reports of any aircraft being in distress or having crashed.

However, after the plane failed to return to Connecticut as expected, the passengers' relatives reported the situation to the Connecticut State Police and the Middletown, Connecticut, police.

“These authorities worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and used cell phone location data to determine the aircraft’s last known location near the runway in Vermont,” Vermont State Police said.

The plane was found in a wooded area near an airport.

Connecticut State Police responded along with other first responders.

“With the help of a [police] “Using a drone, investigators discovered the wreckage of the plane around 12:20 a.m. Monday in a wooded area east of Basin Harbor Airport,” the Vermont State Police said. “First responders confirmed that all four passengers were dead.”

The bodies of the victims were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington, Vermont for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

The lead investigative agencies investigating the crash were the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Middletown Public Schools released a statement Monday afternoon.

“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.”

All MHS fall sports competitions scheduled for Tuesday will be postponed and rescheduled. Sports training on this day is optional for student athletes.

At Middletown High School, crisis teams are available during regular school hours to provide support, counseling and assistance to students and staff.

Support staff will be present at all schools in the district to offer additional assistance if needed.

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