SLIDELL, La. — More than three years after a deadly plane crash at the Slidell Municipal Airport, a collaboration between local leaders will finally move power transmission towers that the plane crashed into.
On the night of April 19, 2016, Wayne Fisher and Don Pechon were wrapping up a mosquito spray mission and had radioed that they were headed in for a landing.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane overshot the runway's extended centerline and collided with an 80 foot-tall power transmission tower.
Following the crash, Councilmember Val Vanney and Airport Director Richie Artigue pushed to work with Cleco to make sure future crashes were prevented.
Vanney, Artigue and local leaders announced Monday that funding had been secured to bury the powerlines and extend the airport's runway.
Louisiana State Senator Sharon Hewitt said $190,000 in seed money was secured in 2018 on the state level and an additional $600,000 in 2019 for land acquisition.
"You can't put a price on lives," Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer said. "This will save lives."
Cromer said that and expanded runway would bring other economic benefits to the Northshore.
The 350-acre airport also serves as service stations for the National Weather Service and St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement. The airport is located about 40 minutes north of New Orleans.
---
Editor's note: the video attached to this article is from a 2016 report on the deadly crash at the Slidell airport.