Traffic & Transit
UPDATE: Officials ID 80-Year-Old Pilot Killed In Hudson Valley Plane Crash
A Glasair II aircraft crashed in a field near Kobelt Airport and caught fire, according to preliminary reports from the scene.
TOWN OF SHAWANGUNK, NY — New York State Police have identified the victim of a fiery plane crash in a Hudson Valley field on Saturday as an 80-year-old New Jersey man.
Police said that Gerald Cotter, of Milford, the pilot and sole occupant of the single-engine plane, was killed.
New York State Police said that on Saturday, troopers from Highland responded to a reported plane crash at the Kobelt/Walkill Airport, in the town of Shawangunk.
Find out what's happening in Mid Hudson Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
An initial state police investigation found that a small single-engine plane crashed while attempting to take off and caught fire.
According to state police, the pilot was found dead at the scene.
Find out what's happening in Mid Hudson Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"A Glasair II crashed in a field near Kobelt Airport in New York around 5:05 p.m. local time on Saturday, September 27," the FAA told Patch in a preliminary statement. "Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates."
NTSB investigating the Sept. 27 crash of a Glasair Super II FT airplane near Wallkill, New York.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 27, 2025
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