CHURCH POINT, La. - A plane crash Tuesday afternoon claimed the life of 47-year-old Nick Van Houten of Sunset.
NTSB is investigating the crash of a Rans S12S at 3:14 p.m. Central Time on Oct. 15, near Church Point, Louisiana. An NTSB investigator is en route to the scene and is expected to arrive this evening. Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation.
Adam Doucet, a neighbor nearby, told KATC that he saw the plane flying earlier that afternoon.
“Last time I saw him, I was going to my mailbox, and he was coming behind me, and his engine was roaring, and he took a turn going east from here," Doucet said. "He went towards the landing strip, and went over the landing strip, but he wasn’t landing he was too high up.”
Doucet explained that he and his wife weren’t home when the plane crashed, but his home cameras captured the incident.
“We had left to go to town, and we came back, and the crash was there, but I’ve been able to look at video," Doucet said. "I hate to use the word explosion… I didn’t see any flames or anything, but it looks like something ruptured and kind of sprayed and then it went into a spiral until it hit the ground.”
A family friend who described Nick as a fantastic human said, "He was always there to help anyone in need, whether it was something small or helping out with an aircraft. Nick also came from a family of aviation and was a very experienced pilot."
Those who knew Nick told KATC he was engaged and soon to be married.
Even though Adam didn’t personally know the pilot, he says he offers his condolences.
“It’s sad for everyone as a mother, father, wife, baby, siblings, kids or whatever...It’s sad for the family," Doucet said.
The National Transportation Safety Board asks anyone with information regarding the plane crash to contact them at witness@ntsb.gov.
