LUDLOW, MASSACHUSETTS — Two people were killed when a single-engine plane crashed in Ludlow, Massachusetts on Saturday night. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

The aircraft was located in a wooded area at 1680 Center Street in Ludlow. Emergency crews received a call about a possible plane down in the area of the Springfield Reservoir around 9 p.m. Witnesses saw the plane go down and called for help.

The Ludlow Police Department coordinated with the Wilbraham Regional Emergency Communications Center and multiple local fire departments, including Belchertown, Wilbraham, and Ludlow, during the search for the crashed plane. Teams leveraged drones and a Civil Air Patrol beacon to locate the wreckage in a remote, swampy area off Center Street.

The two deceased individuals were members of the Plymouth Municipal Airport’s Alpha One Flight Services. Officials have not identified the two people killed. The National Transportation Safety Board will not be identifying the victims until Tuesday at the earliest. The plane was leaving North Hampton Airport and was destined for Plymouth Municipal Airport.

Chris Hyldburg, Founder of Alpha One Flight Services, provided details regarding the pilot's experience level. "This was a licensed pilot they had been licensed for at least 25 years," Hyldburg said. "He was pretty advanced as a pilot."

The Hampden County District Attorney's Office is investigating the fatal crash. The investigation is being conducted in coordination with the Ludlow Police Department and Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit.

Why It Matters

This incident marks a rare aviation accident for the town of Ludlow. Ludlow Fire Chief Ryan Pease noted that the last plane crash in Ludlow occurred in 1952, indicating a rare historical precedent for aviation accidents in the town, though no details about that incident were provided in the search results. The involvement of multiple state and federal agencies shows the severity of the event and the procedural requirements for such investigations.

The Federal Aviation Administration is the U.S. government agency regulating civil aviation. The National Transportation Safety Board is the United States government investigative agency for civil transportation accidents. Their joint investigation will determine the cause of the crash, while local authorities manage the immediate scene and victim identification processes.

Timeline

Emergency crews received a call about a possible plane down in the area of the Springfield Reservoir around 9 p.m. on September 7, 2026. Ludlow Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Lavoie stated, "We don't have a location right now, but we have plenty of resources here." Rescuers searched the area using a Massachusetts State Police plane and drones.

Multiple Massachusetts State Police assets assisted Ludlow in searching for the plane and its passengers.

What's New

The Ludlow Police Department coordinated with the Wilbraham Regional Emergency Communications Center and multiple local fire departments (Belchertown, Wilbraham, and Ludlow) during the search for the crashed plane, leveraging drones and a Civil Air Patrol beacon to locate the wreckage in a remote, swampy area off Center Street. In 2019, all eligible Ludlow Police Officers completed 40 hours of mandated in-service training at the Municipal Police Training Committee Western Massachusetts Police Academy, including Legal Update, Defensive Tactics, and Domestic Violence modules, along with firearms qualification, CPR/AED, and Hazardous Materials certifications.