Morris Wortman, a fertility doctor based in Rochester, New York, has tragically lost his life in an experimental aircraft crash that occurred in a pasture in Orleans County on Sunday.

The 72-year-old doctor, who had faced accusations of using his own sperm to impregnate multiple female patients, passed away in a hand-built airplane crash. Local US media reports that Wortman was accompanied by pilot Earl Luce Jr. of Brockport in the tragic incident.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the authorities have determined that the aircraft involved in the incident was a Wittman W-5 Buttercup airplane. During the flight, the plane experienced a mid-air structural failure, resulting in the disconnection of its wings from the fuselage. The wreckage was found in an orchard after the wings fell to the ground. While an investigation was initiated on Tuesday, initial findings indicate that the fuselage traveled a further distance of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 yards before ultimately crashing in a westerly direction, as stated by Sheriff Christopher Bourke in a news release on Monday.

Dr. Wortman, who enjoyed popularity in western New York, frequently faced opposition from anti-abortion demonstrators. In 2021, he was sued by the daughter of a patient who had conceived in the 1980s. The lawsuit alleged that Dr. Wortman surreptitiously utilized his own sperm while misleading the patient, claiming that the donor was a medical student from the local area.

The lawsuit contended that the doctor maintained this secret even when his biological daughter sought his gynecological services as a patient. According to the medical malpractice suit, the daughter underwent a DNA genealogy test which revealed the existence of at least nine half-siblings. The lawsuit also stated that subsequent DNA testing with Dr. Wortman's daughter from his previous marriage confirmed their genetic relationship. At the time the lawsuit was filed, Dr. Wortman did not provide any comment.