Small plane crashes in muddy upstate NY field, at least one passenger dead

At least one person was killed when a twin-engine plane with six people on board crashed Saturday in a muddy field in upstate New York, authorities said.

A Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 airplane crashed in the middle of an open field near Copake, about 50 miles south of Albany, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Deputies with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to 911 calls around noon about the fatal crash, Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore said during a news conference.

The plane had been headed to the Columbia County Airport in Hudson, about 30 miles from Copake, when it crashed.

“It’s in the middle of a field and it’s pretty muddy, so accessibility is difficult,” Salvatore said.

Salvatore said the crash was fatal but declined to say how many people were killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it deployed an investigation team, which arrived Saturday night, to probe the crash.

With Post wires