Published: Sep. 10, 2024 at 10:11 PM EDT |Updated: 3 hours ago FERRISBURGH, VT. (WFSB/WCAX/Gray News) - State and federal authorities are investigating a plane crash in Vermont that killed four people, including a teen learning to fly and her teacher. Investigators on Monday afternoon were called to out the wreckage of a privately owned four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft, just east of the bottom of the Basin Harbor Airport’s runway. State police say the four people on board were identified as 55-year-old Paul Pelletier of Columbia, CT, 88-year-old Frank Rodriquez of Lebanon, CT, 51-year-old Susan Van Ness, of Middletown, CT, and 15-year-old Delilah Van Ness of Middletown CT. The group flew from Middletown, Connecticut, to Ferrisburgh, Vermont, on Sunday morning for brunch at the Basin Harbor Resort. They left sometime after noon but police weren’t alerted that they were missing until about eight hours later when family members in Connecticut contacted local authorities. “A preliminary investigation determined that the four-seat, single-engine Piper aircraft had departed Windham Airport in Connecticut at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 for a flight of about two hours to Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh,” Vermont State Police announced. “Investigators determined 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 was to fly back to Connecticut. A witness reported seeing the airplane on the runway at about 12:15 p.m.” Authorities used cellphone location data to determine the plane’s last known location near the airstrip in Vermont. A drone was used to find the wreckage of the plane at about 12:20 a.m. Monday in a wooded area east of the airport. Police say there was no distress call and they did not know a plane had crashed. First responders at the scene confirmed all four occupants were deceased and the victims’ bodies were recovered on Monday. The bodies were taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, Vermont for autopsies to determine the cause of death. Police confirmed that Pelletier was an aerospace and manufacturing teacher at Middletown High School. Delilah Van Ness was a sophomore at the school and one of Pelletier’s students. In photos provided by her school, she was learning to fly through simulated flights. Delilah Van Ness of Middletown was taking flying lessons from a teacher. (Contributed) The Middletown school community canceled classes and athletic practices Tuesday and will bring in counseling teams. The district released a statement on Monday afternoon. “Middletown Public Schools is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of three of its community’s beloved members in a plane crash that occurred this past weekend in Vermont. Paul Pelletier, the remarkable Aerospace and Manufacturing teacher at Middletown High School, Delilah Van Ness, a cherished Middletown High School Sophomore, and her mother, Susan Van Ness, were aboard the small plane that crashed. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Vermont State Police.” “This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community,” said Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos, superintendent of Middletown Public Schools. “Paul, Delilah, and Susan were special individuals whose absence is already being felt throughout our district and city.” “I couldn’t believe it. I walked by his class to see if he was there and he wasn’t there and I thought it’s probably real now,” said James Wilson, a Middletown High School senior. Wilson was also a student in Pelletier’s aviation class. The two met at a workshop the summer before Wilson’s freshman year. Wilson was impressed by Pelletier’s passion for flying and his love for teaching anyone who was willing to learn. “He would have a lot of trust in people. Trust in me,” Wilson continued. Pelletier was not only focused on teaching kids. Those who knew him said he also helped create the drone program for first responders in town. “Got us all certified, taught everyone how to fly, rules and regulations, even which drone to pick,” said David Albert, deputy fire chief for the Middletown Fire Department. “This program is forever going to always remember Paul and the impact that he had.” Albert had the chance to learn not only from Pelletier but also from some of his students, including Delilah. “Delilah taught our last drone class. The last guys that we put through, she actually helped teach our firefighters,” he said. Bringing the two groups together was a memory he said he would never forget. “They all had the same passion as him, and they are all very intelligent and very welcoming bright children,” Albert said. WCAX News learned one of the other plane crash victims, Frank Rodriquez, was a former fighter pilot. At this time, it’s unknown what could have caused the plane to crash. WCAX also learned that according to the FAA, Pelletier had an expired medical certificate and was not allowed to fly as of Sept. 1. That wasn’t the only concern. “In general it’s a safe airport, but it’s not something to be taken lightly,” said Burton Bruce, an aerospace engineer who has worked at Collins Aerospace and flown in and out of Basin Harbor many times over the last three decades. Bruce said the 3,000-foot grass runway is more difficult to maneuver when wet. “You slow down faster and it takes you more energy to get up to speed. The soft turf absorbs your speed; it’s like driving on soft grass rather than pavement,” Bruce explained. He added that the nearest air traffic control is in Burlington. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are continuing to investigate the crash. A preliminary report from federal investigators will be out in a few weeks, but the full report will take up to two years. Copyright 2024 WFSB, WCAX via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Most Read