Overview
- Authorities identified the victims as pilot Dr. Gabriele Jasper, his daughter Gabriella Hillgrube, and the daughter’s 2‑year‑old child; all three were killed when the aircraft crashed.
- The airplane was a 1976 Piper Aerostar 601P that departed Adirondack Regional Airport and reportedly lost radio contact at about 100 feet before plunging into woods near Saranac Lake.
- Search teams located the site and found the aircraft destroyed by impact and post‑crash fire, and all occupants were declared dead at the scene.
- The National Transportation Safety Board has opened a formal investigation but has not released a probable cause; investigators typically examine wreckage, maintenance logs, pilot records, and communications data.
- Dr. Jasper was a noted spine surgeon who founded the Jasper Spine Institute and the deaths have prompted tributes from colleagues and local communities while families await official findings.