Two Plane Crash Victims Pulled From Lake Pontchartrain

The bodies of two missing people along with the plane wreckage of a small sightseeing plane were pulled out of Lake Pontchartrain this morning. The Cessna went down Saturday night and the Director of Aviation at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport Ben Morris says a large crane brought the bodies and aircraft out of the water.

“The coroner’s office has picked up the remains of both the pilot and the passenger and then FAA will do their end of it, trying to determine the cause of the accident.”

Authorities have yet to identify the victims. But media reports say a passenger Briana Davis escaped and was rescued that night, but the pilot and Davis’ boyfriend, Baton Rouge tattoo artist and rapper Reginald Hilliard Jr., died in the crash. Morris says the couple chartered the airplane to do a nighttime tour of New Orleans Saturday night. He says the plane hit a thunderstorm during its approach to the airport.

“Something happened between about 150 to 200 yards offshore before the airport that put the airplane in the water.”

Morris says the cause of the crash is still under investigation. He says the families were very worried about recovering the bodies.

“The crane and the barge showed up and the divers went in. They brought the plane up rather quickly, thank God both of the bodies were on board. So now those families can have closure.”
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