3 Texas Residents Killed in Lafayette Parish Plane Crash Tuesday

LAFAYETTE PARISH, La. (KPEL News) — Three people from the Houston area were killed after a small twin-engine aircraft crashed in Lafayette Parish on Tuesday morning, according to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to the crash site near the intersection of Gloria Switch Road and Louisiana Highway 93 just after 11:00 a.m. following witness reports of a plane circling and losing altitude before crashing into an open field.

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The aircraft, identified as a Beechcraft Baron, crashed in a pasture near the roundabout intersection. All three occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene.

Crash Victims Identified

Following notification of family members, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office has identified the deceased as:

• Bruce Verduyn, 58, of The Woodlands, Texas
• Lydia Laws, 46, of Spring, Texas
• Justin Ramsey, 42, of The Woodlands, Texas

According to flight tracking data from FlightAware, an aircraft matching the Beechcraft Baron’s configuration with tail number N16PV departed from David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport near Houston at 9:53 a.m. Tuesday. The aircraft’s radar-tracked flight path ended near the crash site at approximately 11:01 a.m.

Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Chris Cormier told local media that deputies were called to the scene around 11:03 a.m. after witnesses reported seeing the aircraft circling before it went down near the roundabout.

“We got a report of a plane in the air circling before it crashed into a field,” Cormier said. “There were three occupants who are confirmed deceased.”

The aircraft crashed in a pasture behind a home near a metal fence line, landing in an area close to a Family Dollar store off Gloria Switch Road.

Federal Investigation Underway

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office is securing the crash site and assisting federal investigators. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.

The NTSB confirmed via social media that it is investigating the crash of the Beechcraft G58 Baron in Lafayette Parish.

Deputies blocked off the area around the crash site and asked motorists to avoid the intersection of Gloria Switch Road and Louisiana Highway 93 while investigators worked the scene.

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