McDONOUGH – Four passengers walked away from what first responders agree could have easily been a fatal plane crash in the hills of western Chenango County, Monday afternoon.

Members of the NTSB, N.Y. State Troopers along with NYS Forest Rangers, County Fire Coordinators and multiple area fire departments attended the scene of a small plane crash off the crest of German Hollow Road in the Town of McDonough on the property of Palyul Buddhist Retreat Center Monday evening.

At about 3:30 p.m., the Chenango County 911 call center received the call of a downed airplane.

According to New York State Police Lieutenant Daniel Larkin and Chenango County Fire Coordinator Mike Beckwith, a total of four unidentified individuals–three passengers and one pilot–were aboard the single-engine Cessna aircraft crashed into the canopy of the wooded area to the north of the property, some 5-600 feet from the temple.

A search through the FAA aircraft database reveals that the plane was a 1970 Cessna 177 registered to MEI-CHU Corp. out of Flushing, New York. According to the database, the seating capacity of the aircraft is four passengers including crew.

Several eye witnesses were shocked that the plane was flying at such low altitude prior to making impact, and at least one was saw the entire incident unfold.