Three people are dead, including one surgeon and his two children, after a tragic plane accident in Williamson County, just outside of Franklin, TN. The victims were reportedly Louisiana natives who were flying to Kentucky on Wednesday, March 15, when something caused their flight to seemingly fall apart mid-air. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the local sheriff’s office.

The Facts of the Flight

The plane was a Beechcraft V35, tail number N47WT, registered to Dr. Lucius Doucet III, who also appears to have been piloting the plane. It took off from Baton Rouge, Louisiana at around 8:53 AM heading towards Louisville, Kentucky with an estimated arrival time of around 1:00 PM. However, at around 12:05 PM, emergency responders received a 911 call from a nearby resident who reported an explosion and debris, which occurred some time after air traffic control lost contact with the plane.

What is Known About the Victims

The pilot of the plane was Dr. Lucius Doucet III, who has been a licensed pilot since 2016 and was a plastic surgeon practicing out of Baton Rouge. The other two victims were his adult children, Giselle and John-Luc, who were students at Louisiana State University. Giselle was studying veterinary medicine, while Jean-Luc was an engineering student, and both were set to graduate.

Potential Causes of the Accident

While the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, the primary suspected culprit for the accident is a mid-flight breakup resulting from bad weather. This is not only due to the rainy weather they were experiencing at that time, but also due to the state of the plane’s debris. It was spread out over an extremely long distance, which is consistent with a mid-flight breakup, with people finding debris from the plane as much as half a mile away from the crash site.

What Happens Now

For now, the matter will remain under investigation by the FAA, NTSB, and sheriff’s office, with a preliminary report likely to come out within two weeks of the accident. Meanwhile, the full investigation may take a full year or longer, as they attempt to determine the exact cause of the crash. This will determine if there were any other issues that might have contributed to the accident, such as equipment problems, maintenance issues, or some other currently unknown factor.