Federal investigators say the plane that WVUE Anchor Nancy Parker and New Orleans pilot Franklin Augustus were flying in appeared to have engine problems that Augustus radioed in about shortly before crashing Friday afternoon.
The National Transportation Safety Board arrived in New Orleans Saturday and released new information into their investigation.
According to NTSB officials, Augustus radioed to the airport control tower shortly after taking off that he was having unspecified problems with his Aertek Pitts S-2B plane, a two-seater aerobatic plane. He was then given clearance to return and land.
Witnesses also told NTSB investigators the plane appeared to have engine problems after taking off.
Before Augustus could land at the airport, however, the plane pitched down and crashed into a lot near Jourdan and Morrison roads in New Orleans East.
Officials said a fire engulfed the plane after it hit the ground. First responders attempted to rescue the victims but were inhibited by the fire.
Bennie Tassin was working near the crash site when he saw it all happen.
"When I turned around all you can see was the plane coming nose down and then hit the ground. You heard the boom," Tassin said.
Moments after, he saw some and flames. One of his supervisors tried to run over and help.
"He jumped the wall in an effort to try to save whoever was in the place and there was nothing he could've done cause it was engulfed already," Tassin said.
NTSB officials said the crash was still under investigation and they were working with FAA experts to gather more information from the accident site and learning more about what lead up to the crash.