LUDLOW, Massachusetts — Aviation safety officials and state authorities have identified the two individuals killed in a light aircraft crash over western Massachusetts

LUDLOW, Massachusetts — Aviation safety officials and state authorities have identified the two individuals killed in a light aircraft crash over western Massachusetts on Saturday evening, September 5, 2026. As reported by WWLP 22News, Kenneth R. Moore, 66, of Pembroke, and Marcy Asbury, 62, of East Falmouth, died when their single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee went down in a densely wooded parcel off Center Street in Ludlow.

Overnight Search Operations and Recovery Air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft as evening fell, triggering a multi-agency missing aircraft response involving the Massachusetts State Police, Ludlow Police Department, and local fire personnel. Emergency crews conducted grid searches through challenging terrain before locating the wreckage later that night. Responding medical personnel confirmed that both occupants sustained fatal injuries upon impact and were pronounced deceased at the scene.

Federal Aviation Investigation Initiated Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived at the crash site to secure the wreckage and perform initial forensic site mapping. Federal investigators are evaluating meteorological data, radar tracking logs, maintenance records, and engine components to establish the mechanical or environmental factors that preceded the sudden loss of altitude. Local school systems, civic groups, and community members in Pembroke and East Falmouth have offered condolences to the Moore and Asbury families as private funeral arrangements are finalized.