Five people, including a teenager, were killed when a small plane crashed in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday morning, fire officials said.
Six people were on board at the time. Sources told ABC News they were heading to Saturday afternoon’s LSU-Oklahoma football game in Atlanta.
The two-engine Piper Cheyenne took off from the Lafayette Regional Airport and crashed about a mile away, in a field next to a post office, shortly after 9:20 a.m. local time, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.
SPORTS JOURNALIST AMONG THE DEAD
Carley McCord, a sports journalist who worked for NBC affiliate WDSU in New Orleans, was among the dead. The daughter-in-law of Louisiana State University Tigers offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger was one of the six aboard the small eight-passenger plane that went down after taking off from Lafayette Regional Airport.
Ensminger was in Atlanta on Saturday for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football semifinal. The LSU Tigers team, ranked number one in playoff rankings, were playing the Oklahoma Sooners in the game that began at 4 p.m.
The sister of deceased pilot Ian Biggs confirmed to NBC News that the passengers were en route to the LSU game.
Those skilled in the crash were Ian Biggs, 51; Robert Crisp II, 59; Gretchen Vincent, 51; Michael Vincent, 15; and Carley McCord, 30.
Afterward, Orgeron said he learned of the crash by text message about 12:30 p.m. ET, then told Ensminger. Two LSU stars, Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson said they didn’t find out about McCord’s death until after the game, in which LSU players set several college football playoff records in winning 63-28.
Joel Vilmenay, the WDSU’s president and general manager, said his staff was devastated. He called McCord an amazing talent.
“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,” he said. “As we reflect on her impressive body of work, we offer our deepest condolences to her family.”
The injured passenger was identified as Stephen Wade Berzas, 37. He is in critical condition, Lafayette Fire Department spokesman Alton Trahan said in a news release.
