A small passenger plane crashed Saturday in south Lafayette shortly after taking off from Lafayette Regional Airport, killing five people and injuring others. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. “We’ll be looking very carefully at the pilot's qualifications, the training that they had, medical certification and also the history on the aircraft and its maintenance records,” Landsberg said. Biggs was given clearance to take off from runway 22L. The three-page report laid out most of the information investigators had already presented to the public. He was hospitalized though his condition was not immediately known. The plane was on its way to the Natchitoches Regional Airport in Louisiana from Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport in Texas when it began experiencing engine problems. Several of the victims had ties to a family-owned Lafayette tech company, Global Data Systems, including the pilot. Skinner said his friends and family checked in all morning to be sure he wasn't piloting the plane that crashed as the close-knit pilot community quickly pieced together who was on the plane. According to information from the Aviation Safety Network, the Piper aircraft reported six occupants at takeoff on its way to Atlanta-DeKalb Peachtree Airport. "As the airplane approached the holdshort line for the runway, the pilot advised that the airplane was ready for takeoff and the controller cleared the airplane to depart from runway 22L," according to the report. Fire Department releases names of victims, LSU's Ed Orgeron react to death of Steve Ensminger's daughter-in-law, Small plane crash in south Lafayette kills five, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The plane was en route to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl playoff game between LSU and Oklahoma. Several witnesses said it sounded as if both engines were at a high rpm, according to the report. Lafayette couple dies in plane crash Video. It was cloudy, but not raining when the crash occurred several miles from the Lafayette airport. In addition, two post office employees were brought in for evaluation, said Lafayette Fire Department spokesman Alton Trahan. "Any time you’ve got this many people flying to Atlanta for a football game like this, I knew we were going to be dealing with someone from Lafayette that was important to the community.". McCord was a sports reporter. “We mourn their loss but want to celebrate their life. Local authorities identified the sole survivor from the plane as a 37-year-old man. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/us/plane-crash-louisiana-lafayette.html A U.S. Post Office nearby and a strip mall that includes Walmart are near the location.