Morgan City divers recover wreckage from fatal plane crash

Divers from a Morgan City-based company spent 22 hours recovering the wreckage of a small plane that crashed last week into the Red River. The pilot and one passenger were killed in the crash.

Divers recovered the bodies of the plane’s pilot, Richard C. Lennard, 61, of Shreveport, and passenger, Michael S. Hollis, 56, of Bossier City. Caddo Parish Coroner Dr. Todd G. Thoma identified the two men, the Shreveport Times reported.

CROSS Diving Services, based in Morgan City, was in charge of the salvage operation and battled strong currents and cold water in the Red River in a 22-hour recovery effort, company managing partner Creighton Burnett said.

The dive crew consisted of Burnett, Steve Struble, Sean Peters and Chad Grandstaff.

CROSS Diving worked with the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, along with Caddo and Bossier parish sheriff’s offices at the scene. Authorities in that area contacted CROSS Diving to help in recovery efforts.

Authorities had the plane hooked up by about 7 p.m. Saturday but weren't able to the set the plane on the deck of a barge until shortly before midnight, because they only had access to an excavator on site and not a crane, Burnett said. The bodies were recovered not long after the plane was placed on the deck, he said.

The Shreveport Times reported that the downed aircraft was recovered from the Red River at 11:30 p.m. Saturday. It was identified as the plane that disappeared after take-off from the downtown Shreveport airport Feb. 28. The airport lost contact with the small plane the morning of Feb. 28 following take-off from the downtown airport, the newspaper reported.

Officials are still investigating what may have caused the crash.