Four killed in private plane crash after flying from Connecticut to Vermont for brunch - including teen taking flying lessons

Paul Pelletier, 55, Frank Rodriguez, 88, Susan Van Ness, 51, and her daughter Delilah Van Ness, 15, were named as victims in the crash which occurred in Vermont on Sunday (8 September). All had been residents of Connecticut. 

Licensed pilot Pelletier taught aerospace and manufacturing at Middletown High, where Delilah had been his student, the school said in a statement.  A family member further told police how the girl had been receiving flying lessons from Pelletier, while Rodriguez, a pilot as well, was there to accompany them.

It currently remains unclear who had been piloting the four-person craft. The plane left Connecticut's Windham Airport around 8:30am Sunday, before landing in Vermont two hours later for a brunch reservation. They dined at an upscale eatery in Basin Harbor, with plans to return that day.

When they didn't, families reported them missing. The plane was then discovered the following morning near Basin Harbor Airport which is located right next to the resort where the four had just ate. 

All were pronounced dead at the scene, Vermont State Police said in a statement. Police said: “A preliminary investigation determined that the four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft had departed Windham Airport in Connecticut at about 8:30am Sunday. The privately owned plane landed and the occupants arrived for a brunch reservation at Basin Harbor.

“The party departed the restaurant shortly after noon and were to fly back to Connecticut. A witness reported seeing the airplane on the runway at about 12:15pm. However, after the plane failed to return to Connecticut as expected, relatives of the occupants reported the situation to the Connecticut State Police and the Middletown (Connecticut) Police Department. Those agencies worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and used cellphone location data to determine the plane’s last known location was near the airstrip in Vermont.”

With the assistance of a drone flown by Middlebury cops, investigators were able to locate the wreckage at about 12:20am Monday, state police said. The bodies were then brought to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington, where they are now undergoing autopsies to determine cause and manner of death. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the crash.