Local News
David Kornreich and Andrew Harrell Killed After Small Plane Crashes Near Ithaca
ENFIELD, N.Y. — Two people were killed Sunday after a small aircraft crashed near North Applegate Road in Enfield, west of Ithaca, according to Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne.
The aircraft, identified as a 1977 Lake LA-4-200, had two people aboard when it went down. Sheriff Osborne initially reported that David Kornreich, 52, the owner of the plane, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second occupant, Andrew R. Harrell, 31, was transported to Cayuga Medical Center in critical condition.
Later Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed that Harrell had also died from his injuries, bringing the death toll from the aircraft crash to two.
According to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, the plane was cleared for takeoff from Ithaca Airport at approximately 11:24 a.m. The aircraft’s last contact with the airport control tower was reported at approximately 12:02 p.m.
A witness called 911 around 12:35 p.m. to report that the aircraft had gone down. The witness reportedly indicated that the plane appeared to be experiencing a mechanical problem before the crash. Investigators have not determined whether a mechanical failure caused the aircraft to go down.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the crash site shortly afterward. The Ithaca Fire Department and Trumansburg Fire Department were among the agencies sent to the area at approximately 12:47 p.m.
According to local emergency-response information, Guthrie Air was also dispatched, while the Mecklenburg Volunteer Fire Company established a landing zone at a nearby school to support the emergency response.
First responders located the aircraft and its occupants at the crash site. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while Harrell was initially transported to Cayuga Medical Center with critical injuries. He later succumbed to those injuries.
Multiple agencies assisted with the response, including the New York State Police, New York State Park Police, Enfield Fire & Rescue, Department of Emergency Response, Ithaca Fire Department, Ithaca Airport Fire Department and Trumansburg Fire Department.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Sheriff Osborne said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s final flight and crash.
Authorities have not released additional details regarding the suspected mechanical issue or the exact sequence of events before the plane went down.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials are expected to release additional information as investigators examine the aircraft, review flight data and determine what caused the fatal crash.
Local News
Maddie Aasbo and Tyler Sturdevant Among Three Killed in Helicopter Collision Near McMinnville
MCMINNVILLE, Ore. — Three people were killed Thursday afternoon, October 29, 2026, after two helicopters collided in midair and crashed into a field southeast of McMinnville, Oregon, authorities said.
The fatal collision was reported at approximately 2:10 p.m. near the intersection of Southeast Amity-Dayton Highway (Highway 233) and Southeast Cruickshank Road, according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency responders arriving at the scene discovered two helicopters that had crashed in a field adjacent to Highway 233. All three people aboard the aircraft were pronounced dead.
Authorities identified the victims as Maddie Aasbo, 22, of Texas; Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon; and a student pilot from the United Kingdom whose name has not yet been released.
Aasbo was a flight instructor and was aboard a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter with the student pilot. The student’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Sturdevant was the sole occupant of a 2018 Airbus AS350B3 helicopter, authorities said.
The two aircraft were found in the same field near Highway 233 after the reported midair collision. Officials confirmed that two people had been aboard the Robinson R22 and one person had been aboard the Airbus AS350B3.
Deputies from the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the McMinnville Police Department and troopers from the Oregon State Police’s McMinnville Area Command responded to the scene after witnesses reported the crash to the Yamhill Communications Agency.
The response included personnel from multiple law enforcement and emergency services agencies, who located the wreckage and confirmed the deaths of all three occupants.
The circumstances leading up to the collision have not yet been established publicly.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the deadly helicopter collision.
Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage and gather evidence to help determine what happened before the two aircraft collided. The cause of the crash has not been announced, and further details may emerge as the investigation continues.
No additional information about the circumstances of the flight or the events immediately preceding the collision was included in the initial report.
The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office expressed condolences to the families and friends of Aasbo and Sturdevant following the tragedy.
The deaths of the three occupants mark a devastating loss for their loved ones as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.
This remains an ongoing investigation. Further information, including the student pilot’s identity and the cause of the collision, may be released as it becomes available.