“A prayer that it was not what it was going to be, but it’s a terrible tragedy, three people,” said Andy Brown, Jackson Parish Sheriff.
Tragedy struck not just in Jackson Parish but also for three families who lost their loved ones in an airplane crash.
According to the News Star, the names of the three victims are identified as Chris Mudd and Wade Williams, both from Shreveport-Bossier, and airplane pilot Robert Gilliam of Minden all died in the crash. The plane took off from Jackson Mississippi en route to Shreveport Louisiana, but didn’t make it.
“Our first call was a helicopter crash and then we responded to the scene, of course, it was a small airplane. We believe it is a 4-seater Cessna airplane,” said Brown.
The plane crashed off LA Highway 34 near Chatham in front of DG&E logging company. The Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed three people are dead, including the pilot and two passengers.
The Sheriff’s Office says the plane lost contact with the Monroe Regional Airport around 2:11 this afternoon. The sheriff’s office received their first call at 2:20. Fire officials say while the plane did not hit the logging company’s building, it did catch it on fire. The plane was only 30 minutes away from their arrival time.
“It come over this tan shop into the area where it crashed,” said Brown.
According to the tail number, we were able to pull up the flight tracker where we can see the altitude and speed. You can see the path goes white because the plane never made it. The owner of the plane is BCM AviationLLC in Bossier City.
In addition, it has 4 seats, a single-engine, and weighs less than 12,500 pounds. Jackson Parish Sheriff, Andy Brown, says pulling up to the unusual scene was heartbreaking.
“I have been sheriff for 16 years and I have never investigated or been involved in an airplane crash in Jackson Parish,” said Brown.
The investigation into this plane crash continues as authorities wait for the Federal Aviation Administration to arrive Friday morning, February 7th.
“They will come in and look at the crash site. They will look at weather conditions, they will look at records of the pilot and try and piece this thing back together,” said Brown.
The Eros and Chatham fire department was on scene and helped with the crash. In addition, Louisiana State Police, Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Chatham Police were all on the scene as well.
https://www.myarklamiss.com/news/breaking-news/fiery-plane-crash-in-jackson-parish-at-least-one-dead/