Edinburg aircraft collision: Police investigate report near Wheeler Road
New York State Police are investigating a reported aircraft collision in Edinburg as one glider was found downed and another landed safely.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
New York State Police are investigating a reported Edinburg aircraft collision near Wheeler Road in Saratoga County, New York, after emergency crews were sent to the area Friday afternoon, Sept. 18.
Police asked the public to stay clear as officers and fire personnel responded. Early reports from NBC New York and NEWS10 said authorities had released few details beyond the location and the active investigation.
What have police confirmed about the Edinburg aircraft collision?
State police confirmed they were looking into a reported aircraft collision near Wheeler Road, according to NBC New York, NEWS10 and NBC News. The agency had not publicly described a cause or the full circumstances in the reports available Friday.
That means it remains unclear how the incident happened, how many people were aboard the aircraft involved, or whether officials will determine that the report was a midair collision. Investigators had not released aircraft registrations or identified anyone involved.
NBC News reported that a glider in the area said it had seen a collision. Separately, WNYT reported that two glider planes collided in midair, citing its sources and information gathered during the response.
What happened to the gliders?
WNYT said its reporter and photojournalist located a downed glider off Wheeler Road, which state police said they had been seeking. The station also reported, citing state police, that a second glider landed safely at Plateau Sky Ranch Airport and that its pilot was uninjured.
The account indicates one aircraft reached the airport while responders searched the rural area around Wheeler Road for the other. Police were continuing their investigation Friday and asked potential witnesses to call 518-457-6811, according to WNYT.
Has a death been confirmed?
WNYT reported that unnamed sources told the station at least one person had been found dead. New York State Police had not independently confirmed a fatality in the information cited by the local and national reports.
Officials had also not publicly named a victim or disclosed the number of occupants. Those gaps are significant in the early stages of an aviation emergency, when responders and investigators are still establishing the basic facts.
People driving near Wheeler Road were advised to avoid the area while the police and fire response continued. NBC New York said a heavy emergency presence was expected, and NEWS10 likewise reported that police and fire personnel would be working in the vicinity.
The investigation was ongoing as of Friday evening. Authorities had not announced a cause, and the preliminary accounts did not establish why the aircraft reportedly collided.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.