Nationwide Climate Service New Orleans reviews gusty winds, low clouds night time of airplane crash

Up to date: 3:21 PM CDT Apr 3, 2025

RIGHT NOW WE’RE FOLLOWING THAT TRAGIC NEWS OUT OF LAFOURCHE PARISH, WHERE THE BODIES OF TWO PILOTS WERE DISCOVERED THIS MORNING IN A DOWNED SEAPLANE FOUND NEAR A MARSH IN RACELAND. THE PILOTS LOGGING HOURS WHEN THEIR PLANE WENT DOWN LAST NIGHT, AND NOW INVESTIGATORS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG. THE TWO PEOPLE KILLED, JUST IDENTIFIED AS LYLE PANEPINTO AND LAUREN MILLER. WDSU’S ELIZABETH KUEBEL IS LIVE FOR US NEAR THE CRASH SITE WITH WHAT WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THOSE VICTIMS AND WHAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT IS SAYING. ELIZABETH. EXACTLY RIGHT. RANDY. JUST SUCH A TERRIBLE AND TRAGIC SITUATION UNFOLDING HERE ALL MORNING IN LAFOURCHE PARISH. WE ARE, AS YOU MENTIONED, JOINED LIVE HERE WITH THE PARISH PRESIDENT, ARCHIE CHAISSON, WHO HAS REALLY BEEN SPEARHEADING, HELPING US GET INFORMATION. THE VERY LATEST DETAILS ABOUT THIS. SUCH AN UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT. WE’VE OUTLINED IT NOW FOR THE LAST 30 MINUTES. BUT, PARISH PRESIDENT, IF YOU COULD JUST WALK US THROUGH THE DETAILS THAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT THIS UNFORTUNATE PLANE CRASH. YEAH. THE INITIAL NOTIFICATIONS CAME IN ABOUT 830 LAST NIGHT THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE DOWNED AIRCRAFT IN THE PARISH. LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS LAST NIGHT WERE UNDERWAY. YOU KNOW, HEAVY WIND CONDITIONS, LOW LIGHT VISIBILITY WITH WITH THE SUN GOING DOWN, THOSE OPERATIONS RESUMED AGAIN THIS MORNING AT ABOUT 730. WE GOT THE INITIAL CALL THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD FOUND THE WRECKAGE SITE. AND ABOUT 830 THIS MORNING, SHERIFF’S OFFICE PERSONNEL AND OUR HOMELAND SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO VISUALIZE THE WRECKAGE SITE AND FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS. AT THAT POINT, WE NOTIFIED NTSB AND FAA AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS ON THE FEDERAL AGENCY SIDE AND BEGAN TO WORK THROUGH WITH THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROCEDURES WERE GOING TO BE. UNFORTUNATELY, HAD TO NOTIFY THE NEXT OF KIN FOR BOTH THE PILOTS THAT WERE ON BOARD AND THE COMPANY INVOLVED. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS CONTINUE TO BE WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE TWO PILOTS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. YOU KNOW, FROM LOUISIANA, WELL KNOWN PEOPLE IN THE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES DOWN IN SAINT BERNARD, GREAT BUSINESS OWNERS FROM WHAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND. SO OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THOSE FAMILIES. NTSB IS AN HOUR OUT FROM CHICAGO, WITH THEIR AGENCY COMING DOWN. FAA IS ENROUTE FROM BATON ROUGE, AND WE EXPECT THEM HERE IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO TO DO THOSE INITIAL SITE SURVEYS AND THEN REALLY START TO COORDINATE THE RECOVERY OPERATIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT. YOU MENTIONED THOSE WINDS TO WE CAN OBVIOUSLY STILL FEEL THEM WHIPPING PRETTY INTENSELY RIGHT HERE WITHIN THE LAST 30 TO 45 MINUTES. I WOULD SAY YOU JUST SAID IT AS WELL. WE GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS WERE AND THAT THEY WERE TRAVELING FROM BELLE CHASSE TO THE TERREBONNE HOUMA AIRPORT. YEAH, WE UNDERSTAND IT WAS A LOGGING MISSION, LONG HOURS IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE TWO PILOTS, AND THEY WERE IN THERE OUT FROM FROM BELLE CHASSE TO HOME AND THEN FROM HOUMA DOWN TO GALLIANO, THE PORT COMMISSION’S AIRPORT, AND THEN BOUNCING BACK TO BELLE CHASE. A LITTLE TOUCH AND GOES SOMETHING PILOTS DO ROUTINELY. RIGHT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE AIRCRAFT, FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, WENT DOWN. AND WE’RE GOING TO LET THE FEDERAL AGENCIES TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT. AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMING MONTHS, TRY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. AND SPEAKING OF THOSE FEDERAL AGENCIES, OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE WAITING RIGHT NOW FOR THE NTSB AND THE FAA TO MAKE THEIR WAY HERE ON THE GROUND. THEY’RE NOT HERE YET. BUT THEN WHAT ARE THE NEXT HOURS AND DAYS LOOK LIKE ONCE THEY DO GET HERE? YES. SO THEY’RE GOING TO DO THEIR INITIAL SITE SURVEYS AND TAKE THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS AND START TO DOCUMENT WHAT THE SCENE LOOK LIKE FOR FOR THEIR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSES. AND THEN THE RECOVERY EFFORTS WILL START. YOU’LL SEE SOME HEAVY EQUIPMENT BROUGHT IN, AND WE’LL BEGIN TO WORK THROUGH THE AREA AND TRY TO RECOVER THE PIECES OF THE AIRCRAFT. AND ONLY THE FAA NEEDS FOR THEIR INVESTIGATION. BUT DO OUR BEST TO TO RECOVER THE PASSENGERS THAT WERE ON BOARD. ANWHEN WILL THAT REALLY RAMP UP? MORE SO TOMORROW MORNING IS WHEN YOU EXPECT THEM TO GET HERE. YEAH, I WOULD START TO SEE SOME MACHINERY OR ANTICIPATE SOME MACHINERY MOVING IN SOMETIME TOMORROW MORNING. AND THOSE RECOVERY EFFORTS TAKEN PROBABLY 3 OR 4 DAYS DEPENDING ON, ON WHAT THE AIRCRAFT LOOKS LIKE, HOW INTACT IT IS AND JUST THE CONDITIONS TO GET IT OUT THERE. OUR CONDOLENCES, AND I KNOW YOURS ARE TOO ARE WITH THIS FAMILY RIGHT NOW.

Nationwide Climate Service New Orleans reviews gusty winds, low clouds night time of airplane crash

Up to date: 3:21 PM CDT Apr 3, 2025

A airplane crashed in Raceland Wednesday night time, killing two folks and launching an investigation. The Federal Aviation Affiliation and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board are investigating the crash that killed two pilots, Lyle Panepinto and Lauren Menkemeller.Panepinto and Menkemeller had been flying the airplane to Houma when the airplane crashed round 8:30 p.m. In accordance with the Nationwide Climate Service in New Orleans, on the time of the airplane crash, forecasters had been monitoring gusty winds and low cloud cowl. “It appears to be like like among the observations at Houma had been anyplace from 20 to 25 knots gusting. After which we even have some low ceilings. So that will be clouds, principally how excessive the bottom of the cloud degree is,” mentioned Lauren Nash with the Nationwide Climate Service. Nash says the NWS New Orleans workplace typically offers pilots with forecasts and points updates each six hours. “We alert the pilots within the aviation group that there could possibly be hazardous situations,” Nash mentioned. Nash mentioned the forecast issued Wednesday night time confirmed larger winds than what was truly reported. She mentioned from an aviation standpoint, she could not touch upon if the forecast was hazardous or not. “We have seen flights in these situations all of the occasions,” Nash mentioned. “We have additionally seen crashes with no climate issues.” Nash says the NWS New Orleans workplace doesn’t know what triggered the crash, however says the knowledge they supply to pilots is used of their determination on whether or not to fly. “When the pilot will get prepared to begin that flight, they’re these present observations. And making selections primarily based off of them,” Nash mentioned. Nash mentioned there was nothing out of the unusual within the forecast, however that the NTSB and FAA would possible take climate into consideration in its investigation.

NEW ORLEANS —

A airplane crashed in Raceland Wednesday night time, killing two folks and launching an investigation.

The Federal Aviation Affiliation and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board are investigating the crash that killed two pilots, Lyle Panepinto and Lauren Menkemeller.

Panepinto and Menkemeller had been flying the airplane to Houma when the airplane crashed round 8:30 p.m.

In accordance with the Nationwide Climate Service in New Orleans, on the time of the airplane crash, forecasters had been monitoring gusty winds and low cloud cowl.

“It appears to be like like among the observations at Houma had been anyplace from 20 to 25 knots gusting. After which we even have some low ceilings. So that will be clouds, principally how excessive the bottom of the cloud degree is,” mentioned Lauren Nash with the Nationwide Climate Service.

Nash says the NWS New Orleans workplace typically offers pilots with forecasts and points updates each six hours.

“We alert the pilots within the aviation group that there could possibly be hazardous situations,” Nash mentioned.

Nash mentioned the forecast issued Wednesday night time confirmed larger winds than what was truly reported. She mentioned from an aviation standpoint, she could not touch upon if the forecast was hazardous or not.

“We have seen flights in these situations all of the occasions,” Nash mentioned. “We have additionally seen crashes with no climate issues.”

Nash says the NWS New Orleans workplace doesn’t know what triggered the crash, however says the knowledge they supply to pilots is used of their determination on whether or not to fly.

“When the pilot will get prepared to begin that flight, they’re these present observations. And making selections primarily based off of them,” Nash mentioned.

Nash mentioned there was nothing out of the unusual within the forecast, however that the NTSB and FAA would possible take climate into consideration in its investigation.