Plane Crash Under Investigation
A small airplane crash in Van Zandt County claimed the lives of all four aboard the aircraft. Among the dead are a Southlake dentist and his two sons.
The final tweets from the two teens, Paul and Mason Ledet, expressed excitement for an upcoming trip with their father to Mississippi for the weekend.
Paul and Mason were aboard a small plane with their father, Dr. Leonard Ledet, and their uncle Gregory Ledet on Saturday morning. The plane took off at 9:09 a.m. departing from Roanoke’s Northwest Regional Airport with a final destination listed as Clarksdale, Mississippi and a planned fuel stop in Athens, Texas.
Investigators believe that weather diverted the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza to Terrell, Texas, where it crashed in a pasture seven miles from a runway after disappearing from radar screens after just 30 minutes in the air.
It was late Saturday night when the wreckage was located in the middle of a pasture in Van Zandt County.
A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter spotted the wreckage approximately seven miles shy of the runway just before 9 p.m. Saturday.
Paul Ledet, 17, was a junior at Carroll Senior High School and 13-year-old Mason was an 8th grader at Carroll Middle School.
The following statement was released by the Ledet family on Sunday:
“The family thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers — particularly the prayers — during this difficult time. They ask that you please respect their privacy as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are currently still investigating the cause of the crash.
Accidents involving airplanes, whether a commercial or private plane, are statistically rare. However, when aviation accidents occur, serious or fatal injuries are often the tragic result. Whenever a victim is able to survive such an accident, they often have catastrophic injuries that will affect their ability to function for the rest of their lives.
The circumstances around airplane crashes can be very murky. Until investigations are complete, an insurance company may be doing their own research to find a way to pay less to a grieving family. If a loved one has been injured or tragically lost in an aviation accident, give our offices a call if your insurance company fails to pay up. It is important that you have good, experienced legal representation that can help you though the complex claims process. Our lawyers will fight for your right to fair insurance compensation. We are here to help you. Your initial consultation is confidential and without cost or obligation to you.
