1 dead in Upstate New York plane crash days after Hudson helicopter tragedy

At least one person died following the crash of a small aircraft Saturday afternoon, nearly 50 miles south of Albany, New York. Authorities confirmed that the Mitsubishi MU-2B, carrying six people, went down in a muddy field in Copake, near the Massachusetts state line.

The aircraft was en route to Columbia County Airport, located near Hudson, New York. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Emergency response teams faced challenges reaching the crash site due to snow and soggy terrain. “It’s in the middle of a field and it’s pretty muddy, so accessibility is difficult,” said Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore during a press briefing.

As of Saturday evening, it remained unclear whether there were additional fatalities or injuries. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reported that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has deployed an investigative team, which is expected to release further details on Sunday.

This incident occurred days after another aviation tragedy struck the Hudson, New York area. Six people, including a family of five and their pilot, died when a sightseeing helicopter broke apart midair and plunged upside down into the Hudson River on Friday.

Among the victims were Siemens executive Agustin Escobar and his wife, Merc Camprub Montal, a global manager in the energy technology sector, along with their three children.

The flight took off from a downtown heliport around 3 p.m., embarking on a brief journey that lasted less than 18 minutes. According to radar data, the helicopter traveled north along the Manhattan skyline before looping back south toward the Statue of Liberty.

(With Inputs From Reuters)