Crime & Safety
Fatal Plane Crash Claims Life Of NJ Pilot
A Glasair II aircraft crashed in a field on Sept. 27 before catching fire, according to preliminary reports from the scene.
MILFORD, NJ — A New Jersey man was identified as the victim of a fiery plane crash in New York on Sept. 27.
New York State Police said that Gerald Cotter, 80, of Milford in Hunterdon County, the pilot and sole occupant of the single-engine plane, was killed.
On Saturday, troopers from Highland went to a reported plane crash at the Kobelt/Walkill Airport, in the town of Shawangunk in the Hudson Valley area.
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An initial state police investigation found that a small single-engine plane crashed while trying to take off and caught fire.
The pilot was found dead at the scene, according to state police,
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"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 are investigating.
NTSB investigating the Sept. 27 crash of a Glasair Super II FT airplane near Wallkill, New York.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 27, 2025
— With reporting by Jeff Edwards
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