(CNN) — Five people died Saturday when a small plane crashed near Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana, Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit said.
A sixth person on board survived the crash, which occurred around 9:22 a.m. CT, Benoit said in a news conference. The survivor was taken to a hospital along with three people injured on the ground.
The injured on the ground were a person who was in or near a car and two employees of a nearby post office, Benoit said. The postal workers were treated for smoke inhalation and are doing fine, he said.
The eight-passenger plane was taking off from the airport when it crashed, Benoit said. The crash site is about 4 miles from the airport.
Officials arrived at the crash site at 9:30 a.m., Benoit said. Several local and state agencies were on the scene cooperating, and the FAA has done a preliminary investigation, he said. Authorities expect the NTSB to arrive later Saturday evening, Benoit said.
Authorities are not yet releasing any information about the victims or the plane’s owner.
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 weather service designates as “dense fog.”
Lafayette is about 130 miles west of New Orleans.
