WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• Family spared in crash pays respects to dead pilot

  June 12, 2013 10:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The family who was inside a house just minutes before a plane crashed on top of it and exploded paid respects to the pilot who was killed in the crash. Wednesday, the Smith family spent the evening at funeral services for John Fowler. Fowler died Friday when... more »

• Family: pilot prayed on his way down to save lives

  June 11, 2013 10:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Funeral services will begin Wednesday for the pilot who died when his plane plunged from the sky and into two houses in Baker Friday. Family members told WBRZ News 2, John Fowler "believed in Jesus Christ and he and his wife worshiped together every day." No... more »

• Coroner releases official cause of death in plane crash

  June 10, 2013 2:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner said Monday pilot John Fowler died from "blunt force, thermal, and inhalational injuries." Dr. William "Beau" Clark classified Fowler's cause of death as an accident. Fowler was killed when his plane fell from the sky and crashed into a house... more »

• Church will collect donations for family who lost house in plane crash Play Video

  June 7, 2013 10:26 PM

  BAKER- New Covenant Christian Center will collect donations for a family who lost their home when a plane fell from the sky Friday afternoon. "I was just glad that I was obedient to the voice of the Lord," Michael Smith said about calling his sister, who lives in the... more »

• Pilot described as nice, wonderful and serious flier Play Video

  June 7, 2013 10:16 PM

  BAKER- Friends and colleagues of a pilot, killed when his plane crashed into houses Friday afternoon, are in shock that the man they knew is gone and that a plane many describe as powerful gave him fatal trouble. John Fowler, 71, died. Although, the coroner will perform an autopsy... more »

• Federal investigators will arrive at plane crash Saturday

  June 7, 2013 8:25 PM

  BAKER- Federal investigators will arrive at the scene of a deadly plane crash early Saturday morning to begin combing through evidence. Just after lunch, the plane plunged from the sky, clipped a house and burst into flames when it hit a second house off Rue Jennifer. The house was... more »

• Small plane crash reported in Acadia Parish

  April 12, 2013 4:03 PM

  CROWLEY - The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating a report of a small plane crash near the Estherwood community. Few details on the crash were available Friday afternoon. However, the sheriff's office said there were no immediate reports of injuries. Maxine Trahan, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office was... more »

• Ultra-light plane crashes in soybean field

  April 7, 2013 7:14 PM

  SHREVEPORT - A two-seater ultralight plane crashed into a soybean field in north Caddo Parish. The sheriff's office says the incident happened Saturday just before 8 p.m. after taking off from a private farm. Cpl. Mike Vaitkus says the plane had been experiencing mechanical issues for most of the day... more »

• Small plane crashes at S. Fla. parking lot; 3 die

  March 15, 2013 5:10 PM

  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A small plane crashed into a parking lot near a South Florida airport, killing all three people onboard and burning about a dozen cars. Fort Lauderdale fire officials said no one on the ground was hurt in the Friday afternoon crash near that city's executive airport.... more »

• 2 rescued after small plane crash on Hudson River

  January 28, 2013 2:40 AM

  YONKERS, N.Y. - Two people have been rescued after their single-engine plane crashed and sank into the icy Hudson River off Yonkers. Authorities say the plane was carrying a man and a woman on a sightseeing trip, and crashed about 5:20 p.m. Sunday. The two were wearing life vests and... more »

• Monroe plane crash kills 4

  January 25, 2013 6:20 AM

  MONROE- Four people died when a plane crash in the woods behind Ouachita Correctional Center. The News-Star reports investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will be on the scene Friday to begin collecting evidence and witness testimony for their initial investigation. NTSB spokesman Terry Williams says a Beechcraft Bonanza... more »

• Mom: Boy didn't steal plane in crash

  January 2, 2013 3:31 PM

  JASPER, Ala. - The mother of a teen killed along with two friends in an Alabama plane crash says her son had his own key to the plane and had flown it many times. Sherrie Smith says her 17-year-old son Jordan Smith was the one flying the plane that crashed... more »

• Deadly Ala. plane crash may have been 'joyride'

  January 2, 2013 1:12 PM

  JASPER, Ala. - Authorities believe a plane was taken by teenagers on a joyride before it crashed in Alabama, killing all three people aboard. Walker County sheriff's Chief Deputy James Painter says authorities are still investigating but believe the teenagers took the plane without permission and were "sort of joyriding... more »

• Official: Family has identified Rivera remains

  December 13, 2012 1:00 PM

  MONTERREY, Mexico - A state official says Jenni Rivera's family has identified the remains of the Mexican-American music star killed in plane crash. Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene said DNA tests are still pending. The singer's remains will be given to the family once the tests are completed... more »

• Investigators seek cause of crash that killed singer Jenni Rivera

  December 10, 2012 4:31 PM

  MONTERREY, Mexico - A Mexican aviation official says it will take at least 10 days to have a preliminary report on the plane crash that killed singer Jenni Rivera. The 43-year-old singer, born in California, was on a Learjet with six other people that took off from Monterrey early Sunday... more »

• NTSB investigates deadly plane crash

  November 21, 2012 8:11 AM

  OAK GROVE - The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a deadly plane crash in West Carroll Parish. Sheriff Jerry Philley says dispatchers received a call Monday morning that an airplane had crashed about 11 miles northwest of Oak Grove. When deputies arrived at the scene, off La.... more »

• NTSB heads to house where small plane crashed

  November 14, 2012 7:15 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - National Transportation Safety Board investigators headed to Jackson, Miss., early Wednesday to inspect the wreckage at a house where a small plane crashed, killing the three people aboard the plane and igniting a huge fire. Terry Williams, with the NTSB in Washington, said investigators would meet... more »

• Three dead after fiery plane crash

  November 13, 2012 9:44 PM

  JACKSON, Miss- Three people are dead after a plane crashed into a neighborhood Tuesday evening. The Piper PA-32 single-engine plane went down on top of a house near Hawkins Field Airport and ignited a fireball. Dental records or DNA would be needed to confirm the identities of the... more »

• Plane crashes in Jackson, Miss., neighborhood

  November 13, 2012 6:35 PM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Authorities say a small plane with three people aboard has crashed into a neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi, near an airport. A Jackson deputy fire chief told WJTV-TV that one person escaped a burning home Tuesday evening with minor injuries. It was not immediately clear if anyone else... more »

• Single engine plane crash in Iberia Parish

  June 29, 2012 11:08 AM

  NEW IBERIA - The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating the crash of a small plane. Capt. Ryan Turner said the single engine plane crashed shortly after 8 a.m. Friday in a field south of New Iberia. He says only the pilot was on board at the time of the... more »

• Man to be honored for 2 Florida rescues in 2 days

  June 19, 2012 12:39 PM

  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A man who made two rescues in two days is being honored by the St. Petersburg Fire Department for his lifesaving actions. Gus Hertz was fishing near the Gulf of Mexico last week when a man suffered a diabetic episode and drove his vehicle into the... more »

• Family of 6 killed in plane crash in Fla. swamp

  June 8, 2012 2:56 AM

  LAKE WALES, Fla. - Authorities say a Kansas businessman, his wife and their four children were killed when their small plane crashed into a swampy area of central Florida. The Polk County Sheriff's office says the plane went down Thursday in Tiger Creek Preserve. A news release says 45-year-old Ronald... more »

• Plane crash, 127 on board no survivors

  April 20, 2012 4:14 PM

  ISLAMABAD - An airline official in Pakistan says the plane that crashed today near the airport in Islamabad was brought down by "heavy winds." There were 127 people on board, and no survivors have been found. The plane crashed into a muddy wheat field while trying to land in a... more »

• Publix customer describes plane crash at Fla. store

  April 3, 2012 7:48 AM

  DELAND, Fla. - A Florida woman says she was grocery shopping when a small experimental plane crashed into the supermarket's meat department. Lisa Cordova was one of three Publix customers injured when the plane crashed Monday into the DeLand store, north of Orlando. Cordova tells the Orlando Sentinel she was... more »

• Three adults, two children killed in Texas plane crash

  December 20, 2011 6:28 AM

  BRYAN, Texas (AP) - Five people, including two children, were killed when a single-engine plane crashed in central Texas and authorities say weather may have played a role in the crash. Ernest Contreras of the Texas Department of Public Safety says the crash happened Monday night just before 10 p.m.... more »

• Aircraft crashes into mountain east of Phoenix

  November 24, 2011 3:16 PM

  APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - Authorities say an aircraft has crashed in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix but they don't yet know what kind of plane it is. A Pinal County spokeswoman says 911 calls began coming in around 6:30 p.m. Friday about an explosion near the Lost Dutchman... more »

• Plane stolen in Ala. may have crashed off La. coast

  August 2, 2011 5:44 AM

  VENICE- A search is resuming off Louisiana for a single-engine plane that authorities say was stolen from a small airport near the Alabama Gulf Coast. The Coast Guard says a helicopter, plane and cutter searched the Gulf off of Plaquemines Parish on Monday. Petty Officer Bill Colclough says they were... more »

• FAA investigates plane crash in Opelouas

  August 2, 2011 2:07 AM

  OPELOUSAS- Federal investigators are working to determine what caused a small plane to crash over the weekend shortly after takeoff from the St. Landry Parish Airport in Opelousas. The Federal Aviation Administration was notified after the single-engine plane crashed about 11 a.m. Saturday. The pilot, 52-year-old Arnold Reed Johnstone, of... more »

• 2 from Louisiana die in SW Colorado plane crash

  July 16, 2011 10:22 AM

  SILVERTON, Colo.- Authorities say a man and a woman from Louisiana died when their small plane crashed in the mountains in southwest Colorado. San Juan County Coroner Keri Metzler has identified the two as 62-year-old David Hollenshead of Shreveport, La., and 57-year-old Brenda Fore of Bossier City, La. ... more »

• Seven dead after plane crashes in Alabama

  July 10, 2011 9:41 PM

  DEMOPOLIS, Ala. - Authorities say a small plane crashed in Alabama after one of its engines failed, killing all seven people onboard. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker says the plane was flying from St. Louis, Mo., to Destin, Fla., when it encountered trouble Saturday night. Its pilot tried... more »

• Victims identified in Mississippi plane crash

  April 10, 2011 2:12 PM

  Update: Authorities in McComb, Mississippi have identified the victims in Sunday's fiery plane crash. They are 29-year old Jacqueline Hamm and 22-year old Laura Pickett. Authorities have not identified the pilot, but Pickett's husband was on board the plane. He is Taylor Pickett, a well known doctor in Texas. Dr.... more »

• NTSB: Won't be until late 2011 before probable crash cause

  December 28, 2010 10:10 AM

  CROWLEY - A preliminary report about a fatal plane crash near Crowley doesn't give a likely cause for the wreck that killed three people and injured two on Dec. 18. Spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz tells The Advertiser it likely will be late next year before the National Transportation Safety Board... more »

• Victims identified in Acadia Parish plane crash

  December 19, 2010 2:39 PM

  CROWLEY, La.- The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office has identified the victims in Saturday's plane crash at LeGros Memorial Airport in Estherwood. Killed in the crash were Jeffery Dille, 56 of Sulphur who was the pilot of the Cessna 182. Also killed were passengers Wendell Keith Nielson, 63 of Lafayette and... more »

• Sky-diving plane crashes in La.; 3 killed, 2 hurt

  December 19, 2010 9:38 AM

  CROWLEY, La.- A small plane carrying a group of sky divers crashed Saturday in south-central Louisiana, killing three people and injuring two others on board. A pilot and four jumpers were aboard the single-engine plane when it crashed shortly after take off, Acadia Parish sheriff's deputy Maxine Trahan said.... more »

• Three dead following plane crash near Crowley

  December 18, 2010 4:10 PM

  CROWLEY- The Federal Aviation Administration says three people are dead following the crash of a single-engine airplane near Crowley. FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford says witnesses reported seeing the Cessna 182 take off about 2:30 p.m. Saturday from LeGros Memorial Airport in Acadia Parish, lose power and then crash. Lunsford... more »

• Four rescued after plane crashes in Gulf

  December 4, 2010 6:40 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Four people are recovering following a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico, 170 miles southwest of New Orleans. The Coast Guard had received a report that the plane was forced to make a water landing. An off-shore drilling rig deployed a fast rescue boat to... more »

• 2 Nat. Park officers dead in plane crash

  October 10, 2010 11:32 AM

  Two National Park Service law enforcement officers have died in the crash of a small plane in southern Utah. Park Service spokeswoman Michelle Fiddler says the two were on a scouting trip for an upcoming elk hunt when their plane was reported overdue early Saturday. Searchers found the wreckage hours... more »

• Victims in crash from Louisiana, according to family

  September 7, 2010 10:50 AM

  A pilot who died, and his three passengers that were hurt in a plane crash in Nevada were from Louisiana, according to family. A Las Vegas newspaper reports the 50-year-old pilot and owner of the single-engine Piper Cherokee was Douglas J. Touchet of Erath, La. The three passengers... more »

• Plane crash in Terrebonne Parish

  August 31, 2010 9:38 AM

  The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of a plane crash in Terrebonne Parish. It happened on East Woodlawn Ranch Road in Houma. The pilot and the passenger already got out of the plane that landed on its roof. The pilot, Jake Wunstell was not injured, but the passenger... more »

• Sean, Kevin O'Keefe return home to Washington area

  August 26, 2010 9:30 PM

  Sean and Kevin O’Keefe returned home to the Washington area this week. Kevin was released from a hospital in Anchorage on Aug. 17. Sean was transferred from Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage to an undisclosed hospital. “Based on all of the reports, Sean’s condition is good, and all things... more »

• Sean O'Keefe listed in critical condition

  August 11, 2010 10:21 AM

  Those who survived a plane crash in Alaska that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens may have been saved by their fishing waders. Temperatures ranged from 48 degrees to 50 degrees Monday night and it was raining. One of the first National Guardsmen to reach the crash site told... more »

• Former Chancellor O'Keefe leaves impact on LSU

  August 10, 2010 6:14 PM

  Because of former Chancellor Sean O’Keefe’s ties to LSU, it was a long day of waiting for word on his fate on campus. News 2’s Mike Steele was there live and found out about O’Keefe’s imprint on the university. more »

• Former LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe survives plane crash

  August 10, 2010 2:35 PM

  ABC News and the Reuters news agency are reporting that the former head of NASA and former LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe survived a plane crash that killed five people in Alaska, yesterday. O'Keefe's son Kevin also survived the crash. Former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was killed in the... more »

• Former Alaska Sen. Stevens dies in plane crash

  August 10, 2010 2:02 PM

  Former Sen. Ted Stevens has died in a plane crash at the age of 86. Stevens was among five people killed in the crash outside Dillingham, Alaska. In all, 9 people were on the plane, including former LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe. No word yet if O'Keefe was one... more »

• Rescuers arrive to help Alaska plane crash victims

  August 10, 2010 11:32 AM

  A plane carrying nine people crashed amid southwest Alaska's remote mountains and lakes, killing five people on board, authorities said Tuesday. Former Sen. Ted Stevens and ex-NASA chief and former LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe were believed to be aboard. It was unclear if the longtime Republican senator or O'Keefe... more »

• Small plane crashes into western Pa. home

  August 7, 2010 9:59 AM

  Authorities say a twin-engine plane crashed into a house in western Pennsylvania, but authorities do not know how many people were aboard. No one in the home was hurt. State police say the plane struck the house at about 9:25 a.m. Saturday in rural Westmoreland County, about 90 miles... more »

• Plane crashes on San Diego golf course; 1 dead

  August 2, 2010 4:37 PM

  Authorities say a small plane crashed on a San Diego golf course, killing a woman and seriously injuring a man and three children. San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesman Maurice Luque says it's unclear whether any of the five people aboard the single-engine, home-built plane were related. He did not know... more »

• Four airmen killed in crash at Alaska military base

  July 29, 2010 9:08 AM

  A board of military officers is investigating a plane crash at an Air Force base in Alaska that killed all four airmen on board. Three of the men were in the Alaska Air National Guard and the fourth was on active duty at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Their names have... more »

• Plane crash kills 4, injures 1 in Michigan

  July 14, 2010 7:29 AM

  Authorities say a small plane crash on an interstate in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has killed the pilot and three others. Mackinac County Sheriff officials say a 13-year-old boy who was "ejected" from the plane remains hospitalized and that he was the only survivor of the crash that happened about... more »

• Vintage Plane Accident

  June 8, 2010 11:56 AM

  A vintage plane flying this morning, to promote the opening of "Legends of Flight," flipped when it landed this morning on the main runway at Reagan National Airport. FAA records show the 1943 Boeing is registered to Michael Truschel of Nokesville, Va. The Washington Post reports that the... more »

• Pilot killed in ultralight plane crash

  May 29, 2010 2:59 PM

  Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards says an ultralight plane flew into some high power lines and crashed near Fenton, killing the pilot. He says the pilot was 56-year-old Richard A. Martin of Orange, Texas, a member of the Southwest Louisiana Ultralight Club. A photograph shows the bright blue plane... more »

• Libyan plane with 104 on board crashes in Tripoli

  May 12, 2010 5:53 AM

  At least 96 people have died after a Libyan Afriqiyah Airways jet with 104 people aboard crashed while trying to land in Tripoli. An 8-year-old Dutch boy is said to have survived, but Holland's prime minister says dozens of other Dutch citizens who were aboard were killed. more »

• Mid-air collision: NTSB report

  April 28, 2010 11:45 AM

  A National Transportation Safety Board report says a controller was on a personal phone call and missed a critical pilot error before a deadly plane accident that left nine dead. Documents released, say the controller at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, who handled the small plane that collided with... more »

• Navy plane crashes while operating in Arabian Sea

  March 31, 2010 8:55 AM

  One of four crew members is still missing after a U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf region. The Navy says the crash a "mishap" and says the Hawkeye aircraft was operating Wednesday afternoon in the North Arabian Sea when it happened. The E-2C Hawkeye was stationed aboard the... more »

• Texas plane crash pilot apparently left suicide note

  February 18, 2010 1:25 PM

  UPDATE: A federal law enforcement official has identified the pilot in the Austin, Texas, plane crash as Joseph Stack and says investigators are looking at an anti-government message on the Web linked to him. The Web site outlines problems with the IRS and says violence "is the only answer." The... more »

• Officials: Crash may have been intentional

  February 18, 2010 12:09 PM

  UPDATE: U.S. law enforcement officials say they are investigating whether the crash of a small plane into a building in Austin, Texas, may have been an intentional act by the pilot. The officials said authorities are trying to determine if the pilot intentionally targeted nearby office space of the Internal... more »

• Two people hospitalized after plane crash in Austin

  February 18, 2010 11:24 AM

  UPDATE: Fire department officials in Austin, Texas, say one person is unaccounted for following the crash of a small place into an office building. Two others have been taken to a hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known. A law enforcement official says the crash does not initially appear to... more »

• Small plane crashes into building in Austin, Texas

  February 18, 2010 10:42 AM

  Authorities say a small private plane has crashed into a seven-story office building in Austin, Texas. Black smoke is coming from the building and firefighters are trying to put out the blaze. The building is located on a major highway in the city. Dawn Clopton, a division chief with the... more »

• Deadly plane crash in California

  February 17, 2010 11:26 AM

  Three people are dead after a plane crashed into a house in Northern California. Fire officials say crews battled blazes at two homes, but there are no reports of injuries on the ground. Federal Aviation Administration investigators say the Cessna 310 crashed shortly after it took off from... more »

• Investigators return to crash site

  October 11, 2009 3:28 PM

  Investigators are back at the site of a deadly mid-air collision between two small planes in central Louisiana. Two people on one plane were killed when it crashed into another near Pineville. The two people in the other plane were also injured. The crash happened during "The Fall... more »

• Planes crash in central Louisiana

  October 10, 2009 3:39 PM

  The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office says two aircraft have crashed over Lake Buhlow in central Louisiana. No other details were available. The Pineville Regional Airport's runway extends into the lake. Calls to the airport were not answered. more »

• Houma man dies in plane crash

  September 24, 2009 5:26 PM

  Update: 61-year-old Solomon James Falgout, Jr. of Houma died in a plane crash near the Houma Airport early this morning. Falgout left the airport around 6 a.m. this morning. His last radio traffic came about five minutes after he took off. Investigators aren't sure what caused the crash... more »

• 1 dead after plane crashes near Houma

  September 24, 2009 2:44 PM

  A single-engine plane crashed around 1 p.m. just south of the Houma-Terrebonne airport. The Courier in Houma reported that authorities have confirmed at least one death in the crash. Coast Guard Petty Officer Elizabeth Bordelon quotes Terrebonne Parish 911 as saying there was only one person on board the plane.... more »

• Diver's Resume Search in Hudson River

  August 10, 2009 5:12 AM

  Divers resume their search of the Hudson River for bodies and debris in the midair collision that killed nine. Authorities say seven of the nine victims have been recovered, along with wreckage from the Liberty Tours helicopter that collided Saturday with a single engine plane. The victims include three members... more »