Local News

15-year-old girl among victims of Vermont plane crash that killed 4

Victim Delilah Van Ness was a “brilliant and cherished” student, the Superintendent for Middletown Public Schools said.

Delilah Van Ness and Paul Pelletier. Middletown Public Schools

September 10, 2024

2 minutes to read

Authorities identified the four people killed in a Vermont plane crash on Sunday, including a 15–year-old girl and her mother.

Vermont State Police identified the victims as Paul Pelletier, 55 of Columbia, Conn., Frank Rodriquez, 88, of Lebanon, Conn., Susan Van Ness 51, and Delilah Van Ness, 15, both of Middletown, Conn.

Pelletier was the aerospace and manufacturing teacher at Middletown High School, where Delilah was a student, Middletown Public Schools said.

We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of 3 cherished members of our community in a plane crash: Paul Pelletier, Delilah Van Ness, & Susan Van Ness. MHS will be closed on Tues, Sept. 10, 2024 with crisis teams available. More here: https://t.co/fvZU3gAC0m
— Middletown Public Schools (@MiddletownPS) September 9, 2024

“This unimaginable loss has left a void in our hearts and our community,” Superintendent of Middletown Public Schools Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos said. “Paul, Delilah, and Susan were special individuals whose absence is already being felt throughout our district and city.”

Middletown High School was closed and all athletic events were postponed on Tuesday, a letter from Matos to parents said. Matos said he hopes the break will “provide our school community time to grieve.” Administrators stationed crisis teams at Middletown High School to support the community, the letter said.

The victims were on a small four-person plane flying back to Connecticut after brunch at Basin Harbor resort south of Burlington, State Police said. State Police said they did not receive any reports of an aircraft in distress or a plane crash. Relatives of the victims alerted Connecticut authorities after their loved ones had not come home, the statement said. Connecticut law enforcement worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to determine the plane’s last known location.

Using a drone, investigators found the wreckage just east of the Basin Harbor Airport early Monday morning, the statement said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation into the crash, according to State Police.

“In the days and weeks ahead, let us come together as a unified Middletown school community to honor the memory of Paul, Delilah, and Susan,” Matos said in the letter. “May their legacies of compassion, dedication, and kindness will inspire us to support one another and make a positive difference in the world.”