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Authorities have identified the two people who were onboard a small plane that left no survivors when it crashed near a highway in Louisiana.
On Wednesday, April 2, at around 8:30 p.m. local time, the 1976 Cessna 210 L aircraft owned by Southern Seaplanes crashed in a remote marsh between Raceland and Houma, about two miles north of Highway 182, killing both people on board, Fox 8 Live and News Day reported.
Due to the marshy terrain, much of the plane was underwater, and officials had to make their way to the wreckage by airboat. There were no signs of life when they reached the wreck a day later at around 7:30 a.m. on April 3, according to the outlets.
Authorities have since identified the victims as Lyle Panepinto, owner of Southern Seaplanes, and Lauren Menkemeller, who is believed to have been training as a pilot for the company, per Fox 8 Live.
Panepinto has been described as a “cornerstone of the aviation community,” while Menkemeller had started to make a positive impression herself, despite being early in her career, local news outlet WWLTV reported.
Speaking of Menkemeller, fellow pilot Steven Pettit told the outlet: “[She] loved her job and told me she pretty much moved here for that job. I mean, that was her quote, dream job. Lauren was young but a magnificent pilot.”
“We flew my plane together, and she actually landed my plane better than I land it,” he continued. “She was a good young pilot and absolutely loved it.”
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The cause of the crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to News Day and local news outlet WGNO-TV.
NTSB said in a statement to PEOPLE that an investigator arrived to document the scene and examine the aircraft yesterday.
“The wreckage is expected to be recovered today,” according to the statement. “It will be moved to a secure location for a wreckage examination at a later date. NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft, and the operating environment. ”
They will also examine; flight track data, recordings of any air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records, weather forecasts, and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident.
The pilot’s license, rating, and recency of flight experience will be investigated alongside a 72-hour background check that could “determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safely operate the flight.”
The NTSB’s investigation includes witness statements alongside examining any surveillance videos.
“During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident,” read the statement shared with PEOPLE. A preliminary report will be available within 30 days.
Parish President Archie Chaisson told Fox 8 Live that Panepinto and Menkemeller had flown out of Belle Chasse and were heading in the direction of Houma Airport. He added that the sheriff’s office personnel and a private helicopter discovered the wreckage.
Chaisson said windy conditions and swampy terrain limits access to the crash site.
“We know from experience we’ll need some marsh buggies, excavators, pontoon boats, to recover whatever NTSB wants — the black box and the two souls on board,” he told Fox 8 Live.
PEOPLE has reached out to Southern Seaplanes, the FAA and the NTSB for comment.
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