Authorities have confirmed that three people were killed Tuesday morning when a small plane crashed into a field near the intersection of Gloria Switch Road and LA Highway 93.
According to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, the victims have been identified as Bruce Verduyn, 58, of The Woodlands, Texas; Lydia Laws, 46, of Spring, Texas; and Justin Ramsey, 42, of The Woodlands.
Sgt. Chris Cormier said the plane — a Beechcraft Baron, a light twin-engine aircraft — appeared to have circled the area before going down around 11 a.m. Deputies responded after reports of the aircraft losing altitude and crashing into an open field.
Flight records show a plane matching the same tail number, N16PV, took off from Hooks Memorial Airport near Houston at 9:53 a.m., with the final radar signal ending near the crash site just over an hour later.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched a joint investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Local officials have not released additional details, but confirmed that no one on the ground was injured.