Family of five killed in light plane crash remembered as talented athletes

The two young boys who died along with their parents and grandfather in a plane crash after a baseball tournament in upstate New York are being remembered by their loved ones as star athletes with bright futures ahead of them.

James Van Epps, 12, and Harrison Van Epps, 10, were killed along with their parents Laura and Ryan Van Epps, both 42, when a plane piloted by their maternal grandfather, Roger Beggs, crashed in Masonville Sunday afternoon.

“It’s just a tremendous tragedy for our family and the end of five wonderful lives, especially young lives,” said their paternal grandfather, Jim Van Epps.

The family flew home to the Atlanta suburb of Milton after watching 12-year-old James’ baseball team play in a tournament in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Both sons were talented athletes and students, their grandfather said. Harrison, 10, was a promising lacrosse player, he said.

“Ryan and Laura supported their boys in everything they wanted to do,” he added.

Online records show that Beggs had a pilot’s license. Jim Van Epps said Laura Van Epps’ father volunteered to fly the family to upstate New York and stayed to watch his grandson’s tournament with them.

Moving tributes poured in after the single-engine Piper PA-46 crashed Sunday around 2 p.m., not long after taking off from a regional airport in Oneonta. Hours later, the plane’s wreckage was found in the town of Masonville, about 125 miles northwest of New York City.

On Monday, the Oneonta Women’s Softball League paid tribute to James, who participated in the tournament, and other members of his family in a touching post on Facebook.

“Tonight we take a moment of silence for Cooperstown All Star Village ballplayer JR Van Epps and his four family members who died yesterday in a tragic plane crash on their way home. Never forget to hold those you love close; they can be gone in the blink of an eye,” they wrote.

The team shared a photo of their gear bearing the murdered boy’s initials as part of the tribute.

“For the love of the game,” they added.

In a separate Facebook post, the Van Epps family honored their loved ones, writing, “After a heartbreaking tragedy, we are mourning the loss of our family. Yesterday we received the devastating news that Ryan, Laura, James Ryan, Harrison Van Epps and Laura’s father Roger Beggs were involved in a fatal plane crash, and our hearts are broken.”

“As we grapple with this unimaginable loss, let us come together to remember and celebrate the beautiful lives they lived. Their kindness, laughter and love will be forever etched in our hearts,” the statement continued.

“Please keep their loved ones and our family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. May we find strength and comfort in the memories and outpouring of love from all who knew them,” the family added.

Police said the plane was en route to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta and was due to refuel in West Virginia when it crashed.

Government officials have not provided information about the cause of the crash.

Neighbors remembered the family as “the kindest” and “the sweetest.”

“We were neighbors. We saw each other every day and we always said hello to the boys and sometimes they would come over. They just lived across the street and we would always wave and say hello and they were nice,” neighbor Caroline Slayton told Atlanta News First.

“We’re all just devastated. They were the kindest family and the sweetest people.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said on X that he and his family were praying for the families of the victims and offered “our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.