Crews Remove Plane Wreckage from Onion Mountain

On Thursday, crews removed the wreckage from the recent fatal plane crash on Onion Mountain in Canton. 

Police said Central Connecticut Aircraft of Plainville sent crews to the scene with a large netting. Once it was secured, a helicopter airlifted the wreckage to a nearby cul-de-sac. After several trips, the parts were loaded on to a flatbed truck for removal.

The Monday, Nov. 19 crash killed Donald Derocher, 73, and Josephine Derocher, 74. According to family members, the couple was returning to the state to attend funeral services for Mr. Derocher's father. 

The couple has family ties to Canton and had lived in Tolland and Windsor Locks before moving to Florida a few years ago, said Bob Derocher, Donald Derocher's brother. 

Members of the town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department were also on hand during the removal. On the night of the crash members of the department blazed a trail through the woods and got to the wreckage, aided by a state police helicopter. The department also had the sobering task of removing the bodies after the crash. 

Police officers were also present Thursday and had conducted much of the initial investigation. The day after the crash the Federal Aviation Administration and others responded to the scene and the National Transportation Safety Board finished its work at the site last week. It will determine a probable cause in about a year but will release some initial findings sooner. 

Channel 3 took video of the wreckage removal, which can be seen here.