Brian Valder Obituary, Death Cause – A fatal plane crash that occurred in Steuben County on Friday evening has claimed the life of a man from Penfield, New York. Authorities have officially identified the victim as 41-year-old Brian Valder.
According to New York State Police, troopers were called to the scene around 7:00 p.m. after receiving reports of a plane crash in the area of Morton Hill Road, located in the town of Hornellsville. When emergency responders arrived, they confirmed that a small aircraft had gone down and that the sole occupant, Valder, had died in the crash.
Investigators said the aircraft had taken off earlier from the Brockport area, a community northwest of Rochester. It remains unclear what Valder’s intended destination was or how long he had been in the air before the crash occurred.
As of now, Morton Hill Road has been reopened to traffic following the conclusion of initial on-site response efforts. Authorities blocked the road temporarily during the emergency response and while officials began gathering evidence from the scene.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are actively investigating the incident. These agencies are responsible for examining all aspects of aviation accidents, including mechanical failure, pilot error, weather conditions, and other contributing factors.
At this time, no additional details have been released about the circumstances surrounding the flight or the aircraft involved. The FAA and NTSB typically require several days or even weeks to complete a full preliminary investigation, and final reports may take several months.
This tragic crash has brought sadness to Valder’s hometown of Penfield and to the broader aviation community. Friends, family, and local residents are mourning his loss while waiting for more information about what may have led to the fatal accident.
Authorities are encouraging anyone with additional information that may help the investigation to come forward. In the meantime, the local community and investigators continue to seek answers to understand what went wrong during Friday’s flight.
