Five people who died after a small aircraft crashed en route to Atlanta for a college football playoff game have been identified.
The plane came down near a post office and Walmart in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday, hitting a car, flipping it over and then slamming into a tree at 9.22am.
Louisiana sports reporter Carley McCord, 30, who was on her way to the Rose Bowl, where Louisiana State University was playing the University of Oklahoma, is among the dead along with pilot Ian Biggs, 51, Robert Crisp II, 59, Gretchen Vincent, 51, and her son Michael ‘Walker’ Vincent, 15.
Stephen Wade Berzas, 37, who was also on board, survived and has been hospitalized. He is in a critical condition.
Three people on the ground were injured including a person who was either in or near the vehicle the plane crashed into. Two people in the post office were also treated for smoke inhalation.
Louisiana sports reporter Carley McCord is among the five victims who have died in the Saturday plane crash. She was on her way to the Rose Bowl
Victims: Gretchen Vincent, 51, and her son Michael ‘Walker’ Vincent, 15, were also killed in the crash
Pilot Ian Biggs, 51, (pictured right) and passenger Robert Crisp II, 59, (pictured left) also died in the crash
The twin-engine plane came down near a post office and Walmart in Lafayette on Saturday
Three people on the ground were injured including a person who was either in or near the vehicle the plane crashed into (seen above)
Cheyenne Partners LLC, a company based out of Lafayette, owns the plane – the wreckage is seen above
The plane came down near a post office and Walmart in Lafayette on Saturday, hitting a car, flipping it over and then slamming into a tree at 9.22am
Authorities carry a body bag from the scene after the plane crash which has killed five in Louisiana
McCord’s father-in-law Steve Ensminger is pictured wiping away tears before the game on Saturday
McCord’s husband, Steven Ensminger Jr., confirmed her death. Ensminger’s father is Steve Ensminger, the offensive coordinator for Louisiana State University’s football team. He was seen wiping away tears before the game on Saturday afternoon. The LSU Tigers went on to win 28 – 63 against Oklahoma Sooners.
‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to him,’ LSU head coach Ed Oregron said. ‘Steve and his wife, his family are so distraught. Steve is a man. He knows how to handle things.’
McCord was a member of WDSU’s Sports Team.
‘We are devastated by the loss of such an amazing talent and valued member of our WDSU family,’ said WDSU President and General Manager Joel Vilmenay.
Vilmena added: ‘Carley’s passion for sports journalism and her deep knowledge of Louisiana sports, from high school to the professional ranks, made her an exceptional journalist.’
Five people have died, while one person suffered severe burns as a result of the crash
Authorities investigate the scene after the small plane crashed in Lafayette at 9.22am on Saturday
The NTSB said the plane crashed roughly a mile west of the Lafayette Regional Airport after leaving the airport. Smoke from the crash filled the sky above
A view of a damaged vehicle near the site of a plane crash. The aircraft hit the vehicle as it crash-landed
Witnesses said that the plane hit a power line while trying to make an emergency landing
Ensminger gets a hug from quarterback Myles Brennan before the game on Saturday
Witnesses said that the plane hit a power line while trying to make an emergency landing, KATC reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the plane as a Piper Fixed Wing Multi-Engine aircraft. Cheyenne Partners LLC, a company based out of Lafayette, owns the plane.
The NTSB said the plane crashed roughly a mile west of the Lafayette Regional Airport after leaving the airport.
Both the FAA and the NTSB will be conducting a full investigation.
McCord’s husband, Steven Ensminger Jr., confirmed her death to The Associated Press on Saturday
‘We are devastated by the loss of such an amazing talent and valued member of our WDSU family,’ said WDSU President and General Manager Joel Vilmenay
The NTSB shared that the plane crashed roughly a mile west of the Lafayette Regional Airport after leaving the airport. McCord is pictured above
Both the FAA and the NTSB will be conducting a full investigation of the crash
Fire and Police respond to the scene of the crash above. The Walmart near the crash was evacuated as a precaution. Windows from the US Post Office were blown out
Local resident and eyewitness Kevin Jackson told KLFY: ‘I was right outside before the crash. I noticed (the plane) was low and smoking like hell’
Several businesses in the area have reported that they have lost power as a result of the plane crash
‘Heartbreaking news out of Lafayette today,’ Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a tweet. ‘Please join @FirstLadyofLA and I in praying for the families and friends of everyone affected by this terrible tragedy’
‘Heartbreaking news out of Lafayette today,’ Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a tweet. ‘Please join @FirstLadyofLA and I in praying for the families and friends of everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.’
Local resident and eyewitness Kevin Jackson told KLFY: ‘I was right outside before the crash. I noticed (the plane) was low and smoking like hell.
‘It shook my trailer. I knew something was bad. I went in my house, and all you heard was this massive explosion.’
Witnesses said that the plane hit a power line while trying to make an emergency landing
People living in the area could be heard screaming at the carnage and expressed their shock at the plane crash
Several businesses in the area have reported that they have lost power as a result of the plane crash
Several businesses in the area have reported that they have lost power as a result of the plane crash. The crash site is seen above
Jackson told the news outlet the plane hit a car, adding: ‘Someone was screaming from that car. There were little explosions for five minutes or so after that. There was a big old ball of flame.’
Several businesses in the area have reported that they have lost power as a result of the plane crash.
The Walmart near the crash was evacuated as a precaution. Windows from the US Post Office were blown out.