4 dead in plane crash in Vermont woods; officials search for plane with drone

Officials are investigating a plane crash that killed four people in Vermont on Sunday, according to the Vermont State Police.

The plane took off from Windham Airport in Connecticut, bound for Basin Harbor Airport in Vermont. However, when the plane did not return to Connecticut as scheduled, the passengers' families reported the situation to the Connecticut State Police and the Middletown, Connecticut Police Department, according to a press release from the Vermont State Police.

Police worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to track the plane's whereabouts using cell phone location data to determine its last known location.

There were no reports of an emergency or aircraft crash prior to the plane crash.

Authorities determined the plane was last seen near the runway in Vermont.

With the help of a drone, investigators located the wreckage in a wooded area at around 12:20 a.m. on Monday morning.

All passengers on the plane dead

First responders confirmed that all passengers on board the plane were dead.

The victims were taken to the medical examiner's office in Burlington, Vermont, to determine cause and manner of death. Their identities have not been released.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation, which is still ongoing.

Passengers went to brunch before the crash

According to a police news release, the plane took off from Windham Airport in Connecticut around 8:30 a.m. Sunday and flew to Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. It landed and the four people on the plane went to brunch.

The passengers of the plane left the restaurant later after 12 noon.

A witness said he saw the plane on the runway at around 12:15 p.m.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Plane crash in Vermont: 4 people die after flight from Connecticut