ATLANTA – TV broadcaster Carley McCord, daughter-in-law of LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, was one of five people who died this morning in a plane crash in Lafayette.
Information on Flightware.com showed the aircraft took off from Lafayette airport at 9:20 a.m. and was headed to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport near Atlanta where LSU is playing Oklahoma this afternoon in a College Football Playoffs semifinal.
According to the site, flight N42CV reached a speed of around 192 mph and reached an altitude of 375 feet before crashing.
Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit confirmed four passengers and the pilot were killed in the crash, while one passenger survived and was taken to the hospital in unknown condition. A second person not affiliated with the plane was taken to the hospital with injuries.
McCord married Steve Ensminger, Jr. in July 2018. Ensminger Jr. confirmed her death to the Associated Press.
LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said Ensminger will coach in today’s game. He was told of McCord’s death just before the team boarded buses at their downtown hotel bound for Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He trotted on the field with team for pregame warmups 55 minutes before kickoff,
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Piper-Cheyenne Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Aircraft registered to Cheyenne Partners LLC, based out of Lafayette. It had eight seats and two engines.
The plane crashed in a parking lot a mile west of the airport near a Walmart and U.S. Post Office building in Lafayette, at the intersection of Verot School Road and Feu Follet. Witnesses told local media the small aircraft had hit a power line while trying to make an emergency landing.
There were unconfirmed reports that there were two planes in the traveling party, the first carrying McCord and a second that never took off.
McCord was born and raised in Baton Rouge. After studying at both Northwestern State University and LSU, she got her first broadcast job in Cleveland, Ohio working as an in-house reporter for the Cleveland Browns.
After two years in Cleveland, she moved back to Baton Rouge and began working for Guaranty Media as a radio host for 100.7 The Tiger and 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge. Following the three years with Guaranty, she decided to pursue a sports television career full-time.
McCord had been doing freelance sideline and sports reporting for various networks including Cox Sports Television, ESPN3, WDSU New Orleans and more.
She was also the digital media reporter for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and also the in-game host for the New Orleans Pelicans and the New Orleans Saints.
prayers for the Ensminger family