Photo: Robert Buchel / iStock Editorial / Getty Images
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the tragic plane crash that occurred in Copake on April 12, 2025. The crash involved a Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 aircraft and resulted in the deaths of the pilot and five passengers.
According to the report, the aircraft departed from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, at approximately 11:34 a.m. It was headed to Columbia County Airport in Hudson, New York. The plane reached a maximum altitude of 16,000 feet before it crashed. The report indicates that the cloud layer may have been a factor in the crash, although the exact cause is still under investigation.
The plane impacted snow-covered terrain at a magnetic heading of about 290 degrees, approximately 500 feet north of the last recorded ADS-B target. The wreckage was scattered over a radius of about 150 feet, with all major components contained within the debris area. The fuselage was fragmented, and the wings were buckled but remained attached to the fuselage.
The NTSB has secured the wreckage for further examination, and the investigation is ongoing. A final report is not expected to be released until next April. For more information, the public can view images of the wreckage on the NTSB's Flickr page.