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At least 5 people died in small plane crash near Louisiana airport, officials say

Posted at 12:44 PM, Dec 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-28 14:17:34-05

At least five people died Saturday when a small plane crashed near Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana, Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit said.

Wreckage of the eight-passenger plane is seen in a field in Lafayette, Louisiana.

One person on board survived the crash, which occurred at 9:22 a.m. local time, Benoit said in a news conference. The survivor was taken to the hospital along with three people who were on the ground, Benoit said.

The eight-passenger plane was taking off from the airport when it crashed, Benoit said.

Weather conditions at Lafayette Regional Airport were listed as foggy throughout Saturday morning, with a visibility of 0.75 miles, according to the National Weather Service. At 7 a.m. local time, visibility was listed at 0.25 miles, which the NWS designates as “dense fog.”

Lafayette is about 130 miles west of New Orleans.