Federal investigators say it will likely take at least a year before they know what caused a twin-engine plane crash in Lafayette on Saturday, killing five people on their way to see the Tigers in the Peach Bowl. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Dr. Jennifer Rodi says the plane climbed to 900 feet, before descending below 700 feet, for reasons unknown.
“The airplane being in a steep left bank turn, the airplane then rolling about wings level just prior to impacting the transmission line and trees,” said Rodi.
The NTSB says the plane burst into flames, injuring three people on the ground. There was no distress call before the crash and the plane did not have an onboard flight data recorder.
“We will be looking very carefully at the pilot’s qualification, the training that they had, the medical certification also, history on the aircraft and its maintenance records,” said NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg.
A Go Fund me account for one of the people injured on the ground is at $24,000. Danielle Britt is at the University Medical Center Burn Unit in New Orleans.
St. Michael High School in Baton Rouge has established a scholarship in honor of journalist Carley McCord who was killed in the crash.
51-year-old Ian Biggs was the pilot and died in the crash. 59-year-old Robert Vaughn Crisp II, 51-year-old Gretchen Vincent, her 15-year-old son, Michael also died.
Two postal workers were treated for minor injuries.