MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Middletown community came together Tuesday to grieve four lives lost in a Vermont plane crash Sunday, including a teacher and student from the local high school.
Middletown High School sophomore Delilah Van Ness, 15, and her aerospace teacher Paul Pelletier, 55, were identified in the crash, along with Delilah’s mother, Susan, and 88-year-old military veteran Francisco "Frank" Rodriguez.
The four died after Pelletier's small single engine piper plane crashed near Basin Harbor Airport in Ferrisburgh, Vt. en route back to Connecticut.
Middletown High School was closed Tuesday.
“It just doesn’t feel real. I never could have imagined that this would happen,” said Middletown High School sophomore Annabelle Dewitt.
Dewitt and dozens of other students gathered at the Russell Library to embrace each other and share stories and memories.
"Everybody is definitely feeling sad, and they are definitely feeling the loss,” Dewitt said.
Dewitt recalled Delilah Van Ness, who she knew as a friend with an infectious personality.
“She was amazing. She was wonderful. So kind. Intelligent," Dewitt said. "Honestly a perfect friend, and I just miss her so much."
FOX61 met Delilah Van Ness and Pelletier in June for a story about Middletown’s drone training program. They were student and teacher in title but shared a bond beyond the classroom.
“She wanted to become a pilot, and Paul gave her the opportunity. Paul saw her as a daughter,” said Luis Revilla, a friend of Pelletier's.
Revilla worked with Pelletier to produce drone training videos. They were just days away from revealing a series of videos on drone safety that was about to be published by the FAA. Now, Revilla said he can’t stomach going back to the office.
“His chair is still there. His stuff is still there so it’s going to be like going to a house without a family member,” explained Revilla. “Last week, at the office when he said goodbye, he told me, 'I love you.' And I said, 'I love you too, Paul,' and we gave a hug.”
Delilah’s mother, Susan Van Ness, worked for the National Diaper Bank Network. Rodriguez, whose nickname was his military call sign, "Speedy," was a Lebanon resident and a pilot and member of the Super Sabre Society dedicated to preserving the history of the men who flew the F-100 jet fighter.
“He was a very close friend to Paul. They were great friends. I know that they used to fly together, and he was a great friend of the Middletown aerospace programs,” said Revilla.
At the same time as the Middletown community grieves, the investigators of the FAA and NTSB are conducting a full-scale investigation to determine what caused the crash. The NTSB will issue their preliminary findings within 30 days although a full investigation could take two years.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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