Plane with 6 on board crashes in muddy field in upstate New York

A twin-engine plane with six people on board crashed on Saturday in a muddy field in upstate New York, authorities said.

According to Undersheriff Jacqueline Salvatore, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 report around noon. While confirming that the crash was fatal, she declined to reveal how many of the six people on board had died.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft was headed to Columbia County Airport near Hudson, but crashed about 30 miles (48 kilometres) away near the town of Copake.

“It is in the middle of a field and it is pretty muddy, so accessibility is difficult,” Salvatore said during a news conference near the scene, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Albany.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it had deployed an investigation team, which was expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday night.