Baton Rouge plastic surgeon, his two children killed in plane crash; NTSB investigating

Tyler Eschette
·3 min read

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board say a preliminary report of the Tennessee plane crash that left a Baton Rouge man and two of his children dead could be completed 10 days after leaving the scene.

Officials gave an update during a 3 p.m. Thursday, May 16 press conference held near the site of the deadly Wednesday plane crash.

One of the victims identified from the plane crash was a well-known Baton Rouge plastic surgeon, Dr. Lucius Doucet.

The other two passengers of the plane were identified as his two children, Giselle and Jean-Luc Doucet, according to a statement from Louisiana State University. Both were LSU seniors scheduled to graduate Friday, May 17.

Williamson Cosmetic Center releases statement after plane crash kills Baton Rouge plastic surgeon

Read LSU’s full statement below.

“We have been notified that two seniors, Giselle and Jean-Luc Doucet–siblings who were both scheduled to graduate tomorrow–were killed in a private plane crash yesterday, along with their father. We are devastated to hear this news, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Doucet family and all those who know and love these two students, and those who were expecting to share graduation with them.

“We will honor both students at their respective commencement ceremonies, and we will do everything possible to help and support those in our community who are impacted by this tragedy.

“Any member of the LSU family who is in need of emotional support during this difficult time can contact the STudent Health Center’s Mental Health Service at 225-578-8774 for counseling services. We urge anyone who needs help processing this loss to reach out for assistance.”

LSU

Doucet was the pilot of the single-engine Beechcraft V35 plane that took off just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 15 from the Louisiana Regional Airport in Gonzales. The plane crash occurred in the southwest portion of Williamson County around noon and was headed to Louisville, Kentucky, according to investigators.

“While approaching Franklin, Tennessee, the airplane descended from about 10,000 feet down to about 7,800 feet. The ground speed of the airplane increased as well as its rate of descent,” said Aaron McCarter, air safety investigator for NTSB.

McCarter said plane wreckage “was scattered around a half-mile radius area off of this road here in Franklin County.”

Search teams have recovered the fuselage and the wings but will spend the next 24 to 48 hours recovering pieces of the plane. They said the debris field is a half mile long in very rough terrain. The pieces will then be transported to a secure facility in Springfield, Tennessee for examination and ultimately determine the exact cause of the crash.

“It is widely dispersed,” said McCarter. “We have hilly terrain, we have water, we have flat terrain, we have farmland, and we’re having to gather all those separate pieces and take them and put them together. And basically a two-dimensional or three-dimensional layout on the hangar floor tomorrow or Saturday, which will help us determine how the airplane came apart.”

A preliminary crash report should be available in 10 days while the final crash report will take at least 9 months.

The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies will stay to assist NTSB officials with their investigation, which is expected to finish Thursday.

Click the video above to watch the press conference.

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