Fatal Plane Crash at Kobelt/Wallkill Airport

The New York State Police are investigating a fatal plane crash that occurred on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

At approximately 2:25 p.m., troopers from SP Highland responded to a report of an aircraft accident at the Kobelt/Wallkill Airport in the town of Shawangunk.

Preliminary findings indicate that a small single-engine plane crashed during an attempted takeoff and subsequently caught fire. The pilot, identified as 80-year-old Gerald Cotter of Milford, New Jersey, was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Image: A stock photo of a small single-engine plane. This is not the aircraft involved in the crash. (Photo credit: Must Be F/8)