Norman L. Baker, 89, of Windsor, Massachusetts, was traveling to the Middlebury area to visit family for Thanksgiving, according to Capt. Michael Manley, troop commander of the Vermont State Police southern division.
“We obviously feel sorry for the family, on a holiday to be losing a family member. Our condolences go out to the family,” Manley said.
Baker was the owner of the plane, a single-engine, four- seat 1966 Cessna Skyhawk, and he was only person on board when it crashed, officials said.
The plane was found in the woods off of Route 7 near Whistle Stop Lane on private property in Pittsford.
At a press conference on Thursday, police said Baker was an experienced pilot who had been involved with aviation since he was a teenager.
Detective Todd Wilcox, of the Vermont State Police, said Baker’s son was on the crash scene Thursday with police. Wilcox said the family “seemed to be doing fairly well for the tragic event.”
While police were not able to provide details on Thursday about whether Baker had ever flown professionally, they said he had made the flight between Windsor and Middlebury about 20 times.
“It is unknown why Mr. Baker crashed. The (National Transportation Safety Board) is sending an investigator to assist in the examining of the crash wreckage,” said Lt. Bill Pratico of the Pittsford Police Department.
Baker’s body will be taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. Manley said the results will help police determine if a medical event may have caused the crash.
“We’ve spoken to family, and there’s nothing as of right now that makes us believe he was unfit to fly,” he said.
According to Manley, it’s not unusual for a plane as old as the Skyhawk to continue to be in use if it is wellmaintained, although he offered no opinion on the condition of Baker’s plane.
Pratico said local emergency responders faced a challenge determining if a crash had taken place.
On Wednesday, around 5 p. m., local police in Pittsford and the Rutland barracks of the Vermont State Police learned of a potential aircraft incident in the area of Sugar Hollow Road.
The first person to call police reported a small aircraft was flying low.
“As it continued on the site, the caller indicated that they heard a loud noise. The caller was fearful that the plane had crashed and added that they only heard a noise and did not see the plane crash nor did they see any wreckage,” Pratico said.
Police learned there were no unaccounted flights due at the Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport and none of the aircraft in the area had broadcast a distress signal.
Officers searched the area but there was no sign of a plane crash and police received no other reports, Pratico said.
The Vermont Civil Air Patrol also conducted a search by air but found no evidence of a crash.
However, around 11:30 p. m., police learned a plane had left Pittsfield, Massachusetts, flying toward Middlebury, but hadn’t arrived.
The Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team put together a search with the assistance of fire department members from Pittsford, Brandon and Chittenden.
Again, nothing was found and a second air search, conducted by Vermont Civil Air Patrol and the Vermont Army National Guard, was also unsuccessful.
The location of the wreckage was reported by a Pittsford resident who had heard about the incident and decided to look around his property to see if he could find anything, Pratico said. He found the plane while walking his property, police said.
Pratico said the timing of the crash, the day before Thanksgiving, didn’t seem to have an effect on getting the resources needed to conduct the search.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.rutlandherald.com
================
Pilot found dead after crash had flown planes his whole life
By The Associated Press
PITTSFORD, Vt. — Nov 23, 2017, 7:22 PM ET
A pilot found dead after a small-plane crash in Vermont has been identified as an 89-year-old Massachusetts man who had been flying planes his entire life.
Police say Windsor, Massachusetts, resident Norman L. Baker was the only person on the four-passenger plane, which had been reported missing. Baker had been flying from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Middlebury, Vermont, 125 miles north.
The 1966 Cessna plane is believed to have crashed Wednesday in Pittsford, Vermont, 25 miles south of Middlebury. The crash site was discovered Thursday by a landowner walking in a wooded area of his property.
Police say the plane was heavily damaged and the pilot was found dead nearby. They say the pilot had done the trip successfully about 20 times and they don't know why he crashed this time.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
N4676L Aircraft Registration
Anne Kristine Ii, Inc. is a Massachusetts Domestic Profit Corporation filed on February 24, 2000 . The company's File Number is listed as 000694800. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Norman Baker and is located at Box 54 Tirrell Hill Rd., Windsor, MA 01270. The company's principal address is Box 54 Tirrell Hill Rd., Windsor, MA 01270.
The company has 1 principal on record. The principal is Norman Baker from Windsor MA.
==========================
PITTSFIELD — A Windsor pilot flying out of Pittsfield has been identified as the victim of a fatal crash after his plane went down in Vermont on Wednesday.
Vermont State Police said 89-year-old Norman L. Baker took off from Pittsfield on Wednesday and intended to make a routine flight to Middlebury, Vt., but crashed in Pittsford, Vt.
Baker was the only person in the plane, which was not discovered until Thursday, after multiple searches, according to a statement released by Vermont State Police on Thursday night.
It is not clear why the 1966 Cessna crashed, and the investigation is ongoing.
Police described Baker as an experienced pilot who had made the journey from Pittsfield to Middlebury 20 times. An autopsy will be conducted at the Chief Medical Examiner's Office.
A resident in Pittsford called 911 at about 5 p.m. Wednesday to report seeing a low-flying aircraft and then, after it continued out of sight, hearing a loud noise that could have been a crash.
First responders, including Pittsford Police and Vermont State Police, canvassed the area but found no wreckage.
The Federal Aviation Administration, Vermont Civil Air Patrol and the Rutland Regional Airport reported no unaccounted aircraft and no distress signals from any planes in the area, according to police.
At about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Massachusetts State Police reported a plane that had left Pittsfield but never arrived in Middlebury.
The report prompted the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team to coordinate another unsuccessful search — again focused in Pittsford — with firefighters from the Pittsford, Brandon and Chittenden, Vt., fire departments.
Early Thursday morning, a Vermont Army National Guard helicopter and multiple planes from the Vermont Civil Air Patrol flew overhead, but again found no evidence of the crash.
On Thursday, the crash site was reported to police at about 11:30 a.m. by a local resident who had scoured his property after learning of the missing plane.
The plane had come to a stop near U.S. Route 7 in the town of Pittsford near Whistlestop Lane, police said. Baker was found dead near the plane.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.berkshireeagle.com
One person is dead after a plane that left from Massachusetts crashed in Pittsford, Vermont.
The plane was located on the east side of Route 7 having sustained heavy damage. There were no passengers on board the aircraft but its pilot was found dead at the scene, say Vermont State Police.
The pilot was identified as 89-year-old Norman Baker from Windsor, Massachusetts.
Baker's Cessna 172G Skyhawk left the Pittsfield Municipal Airport in Massachusetts on Wednesday afternoon headed for Middlebury.
Baker has been flying his whole life. He had made the trip from Pittsfield to Middlebury approximately 20 times before Wednesday's crash.
Pittsford Police were alerted by a caller to a crash on Wednesday around 5 p.m. in the area of Sugar Hollow Road. The caller had spotted a small, low-flying aircraft in the area and reported that as the plane traveled out of sight, the caller heard a loud noise. The caller was concerned that the plane had crashed, but did not see a crash or wreckage.
Initial investigation found the caller's claim to be unfounded. Police coordinated with the FAA, Vermont Civil Air Patrol and Rutland Regional Airport to determine that there were no unaccounted for aircraft in the area, nor any broadcasting a distress signal.
Late Wednesday night, however, police were informed of an overdue aircraft en route to Middlebury from Massachusetts. Search parties were activated in Pittsford and surrounding areas.
The site of the plane crash was discovered Thursday afternoon by a private landowner searching his property. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Story and video ➤ https://www.necn.com
PITTSFORD, Vt. (WCAX) "It's just wreckage strewn about everywhere," Alexis Miller said. "The largest piece I saw was the cockpit."
Miller described finding the horrific aftermath of a single-engine plane crash. The scene was along a ridge line about a quarter of a mile into the woods next to her family's Pittsford cabin.
"There's insulation hanging from trees, there's just little tiny pieces that are maybe the size of a shoebox," she said.
Miller and her dad went out early Thanksgiving morning to search after hearing news reports that her neighbors reported a possible crash nearby the night before. A Civil Air Patrol plane had been searching the area, as well, going off tips of a low-flying plane, described as a white Cessna 172 with maroon trim.
Reporter Tyler Dumont: You actually saw something?
Mike Solari: I saw the plane, well, I saw a plane go overhead.
Solari lives on Sugar Hollow Road not far from the crash scene.
Tyler Dumont: Anything come to your mind at that time?
Mike Solari: No, it was just lower than normal, that's about all I can say.
WCAX News was there as rescue crews and Vermont State Police troopers arrived soon after the plane was found. Authorities confirmed shortly after that the pilot-- the only person on board-- was dead.
Late Thursday afternoon, they identified the pilot as Norman Baker, 89, of Windsor, Massachusetts. Police say Baker was an experienced pilot who had been flying since he was 13 and they have no reason to believe he was unfit in any way.
Officials say Baker was headed to the Middlebury State Airport over 20 miles away from Pittsford. In a statement, the FAA said: " ... the pilot was flying on visual flight rules and was not receiving air traffic control service. A concerned friend or relative reported that the Cessna departed from Pittsfield Municipal Airport in Massachusetts at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday... and was scheduled to arrive in Middlebury two hours later."
"I get the feeling that they were probably coming home for the holidays," Miller said. "And I feel really bad for whoever it is, their family, and my thoughts are with them."
The NTSB says it is sending an investigator to the crash scene to determine what happened.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.wcax.com
Police say Windsor, Massachusetts, resident Norman L. Baker was the only person on the four-passenger plane, which had been reported missing. Baker had been flying from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Middlebury, Vermont, 125 miles north.
The 1966 Cessna plane is believed to have crashed Wednesday in Pittsford, Vermont, 25 miles south of Middlebury. The crash site was discovered Thursday by a landowner walking in a wooded area of his property.
Police say the plane was heavily damaged and the pilot was found dead nearby. They say the pilot had done the trip successfully about 20 times and they don't know why he crashed this time.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
PITTSFORD, Vt. - Update: Vermont State Police say the pilot from a missing plane was found dead.
Authorities say the missing plane was found on the east side of Route 7 in Pittsford on Thursday.
According to police, the plane was heavily damaged, there weren't any other passengers on the plane.
Vermont State Police and the Pittsford Police Department are searching for a possible missing plane in the area of Sugar Hollow Road.
Police say they received information Wednesday night about an overdue aircraft headed to Middlebury from Massachusetts. Earlier in the day, State Police said the Pittsford Police Department received a report of a small aircraft flying low. Police say the caller indicated they heard a loud noise, but did not see the plane crash or any sign of wreckage.
Original article ➤ http://www.mychamplainvalley.com
| Date: | 22-NOV-2017 |
| Time: | 21:30+ |
| Type: |  Cessna 172 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
Registration:N4676L | |
| C/n / msn: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Rutland County, Pittsford, VT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Pittsfield Muni (2B7) |
| Middlebury State (6B0) |
Crashed in the Sugar Hollow Road area near Pittsford,Rutland County, Vermont. Thesole pilot received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2017/11/pittsford-rutland-county-vermont.html
http://www.wcax.com/content/news/Reports-of-a-plane-crash-in-Pittsford-459464063.html
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sugar+Hollow+Rd,+Pittsford,+VT+05763/@43.7386407,-
73.0195988,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4cb534c317d246fb:0x5201553c90c652bf?hl=en-us
========================
PITTSFORD, Vt. (WCAX) "It's just wreckage strewn about everywhere," Alexis Miller said. "The largest piece I saw was the cockpit."
Courtesy: Vermont State Police
Miller described finding the horrific aftermath of a single-engine plane crash. The scene was along a ridge line about a quarter of a mile into the woods next to her family's Pittsford cabin.
"There's insulation hanging from trees, there's just little tiny pieces that are maybe the size of a shoebox," she said.
Miller and her dad went out early Thanksgiving morning to search after hearing news reports that her neighbors reported a possible crash nearby the night before. A Civil Air Patrol plane had been searching the area, as well, going off tips of a low-flying plane, described as a white Cessna 172 with maroon trim.
Reporter Tyler Dumont: You actually saw something?
Mike Solari: I saw the plane, well, I saw a plane go overhead.
Solari lives on Sugar Hollow Road not far from the crash scene.
Tyler Dumont: Anything come to your mind at that time?
Mike Solari: No, it was just lower than normal, that's about all I can say.
WCAX News was there as rescue crews and Vermont State Police troopers arrived soon after the plane was found. Authorities confirmed shortly after that the pilot-- the only person on board-- was found dead nearby. Late Thursday afternoon, they identified the pilot as Norman Baker, 89, of Windsor, Massachusetts. Police say Baker was an experienced pilot who had been flying since he was 13 and they have no reason to believe he was unfit in any way.
Officials say Baker was headed to the Middlebury State Airport over 20 miles away from Pittsford. In a statement, the FAA said: " ... the pilot was flying on visual flight rules and was not receiving air traffic control service. A concerned friend or relative reported that the Cessna departed from Pittsfield Municipal Airport in Massachusetts at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday... and was scheduled to arrive in Middlebury two hours later."
Police say Baker had successfully done the trip from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Middlebury, Vermont, about 20 times.
"I get the feeling that they were probably coming home for the holidays," Miller said. "And I feel really bad for whoever it is, their family, and my thoughts are with them."