Authorities: Small plane crashes in Louisiana, killing 5

A small plane en route to a college football game crashed into the parking lot of a post office in Louisiana shortly after takeoff on Saturday, killing five people and fully engulfing a car on the ground in flames, authorities said.

The two-engine Piper Cheyenne crashed in the city of Lafayette about 1 mile from the regional airport where the flight began, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro said.

Steven Ensminger Jr., the son of the offensive coordinator for the Louisiana State University football team, said his wife, Carley McCord, was on board the flight and died when it crashed. He said the plane was en route to the Peach Bowl playoff game in Atlanta between LSU and Oklahoma.

Ensminger said he was unable to go to the game and was at work when the crash happened. He said his father, Steven Ensminger, called him just before the elder Ensminger got to the stadium.

"I just don't feel like this is real," Ensminger Jr. told the AP in an Instagram message. "I'm praying it's not real."
"We are devastated by the loss of such an amazing talent and valued member of our WDSU family," said WDSU President and General Manager, Joel Vilmenay. "Carley's passion for sports journalism and her deep knowledge of Louisiana sports, from high school to the professional ranks, made her an exceptional journalist."\