Were Said To Be Traveling To Visit Family When The Accident Occurred

A husband and wife flying a Cherokee Arrow were fatally injured Monday when the plane went down near Canton, CT. The couple, identified by Canton Police as 73-year-old Donald Derocher and his 74-year-old wife Josephine, were reportedly traveling from their home in Florida to visit family in Connecticut when the accident occurred.

Canton Police Capt. Lawrence Terra said the couple had lived in Canton before moving to Florida, according to a report appearing in the Connecticut Post. The airplane was located by a state police SAR helicopter about 2230 EST Monday on a wooded ridge of Onion Mountain. The wreckage was discovered at about 900 feet AGL.

A Danbury Municipal Airport administrator told authorities that the plane was being tracked by radar at Bradley International Airport. Assistant Administrator Mike Safranek said the airplane "dropped off radar" and was reported missing. First responders reportedly had difficulty reaching the accident site due to its remote location, tree cover, and terrain.

Onion Mountain Park where the airplane impacted terrain is several miles south of Simsbury Airport (4B9), but it was not clear that the small, privately-owned facility was the couple's destination.

(Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.nstb.gov