Overview
- The 1976 Piper Aerostar left Adirondack Regional Airport late Monday and lost contact about 100 feet after takeoff before crashing into nearby woods and catching fire.
- State police identified the victims as pilot Gabriel P. Jasper, 70, of Toms River, his daughter Gabriella M. Hillgrube, 33, and granddaughter Guiliana M. Hillgrube, 2, both of Forked River, New Jersey.
- Searchers located wreckage near Route 186 on Monday night and officials say the aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a subsequent fire.
- The New York State Police, state troopers and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the probe, which will include on-site work and review of flight records and can take weeks to months.
- Local reporters noted this was the third small-plane crash reported in the Adirondacks that week, a pattern that may prompt closer scrutiny of regional flight operations and weather or airport procedures.