Pilot killed when two glider planes crash over remote upstate New York area

Published: 17:04 EDT, 19 September 2026 | Updated: 17:12 EDT, 19 September 2026 A pilot was found dead after two glider planes collided in the air, as one aircraft crashed into a remote area of upstate New York.

The two glider planes crashed on Friday afternoon just before 2.30pm. One plane landed safely nearby at the Plateau Sky Ranch Airport, but the other crashed in a rural site near Edinburg, according to the New York State Police.

Each plane was operated by a single pilot and carried no other passengers. Local police, along with the New York State Forest Rangers, discovered debris from the second plane just before 5pm.

The pilot, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was pronounced dead at the scene. The pilot of the plane that reached the airport was uninjured.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating what led to the collision. The FAA said the crashed glider was a Schempp-Hirth Ventus aircraft, and the one that landed safely was a Schleicher AS24.

Edinburg is about an hour north of Albany. Footage of the crash site showed police surrounding a small plane in a wooded area.