A preliminary report released Monday by the National Transportation Safety Board provided few clues into what caused an Oct. 6 plane crash that killed a Southlake dentist and three relatives.
Dentist Leonard Ledet, 60; sons Paul, 17, and Mason, 13; and Ledet's brother and co-pilot, Gregory Ledet, 62, of Keller died in the crash.The Ledets took off from Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke at 8:45 a.m. Oct. 6 and headed toward Clarksdale, Miss. They planned to attend the Texas A&M-Mississippi football game. They were scheduled to stop for fuel in Athens.The preliminary report said the plane encountered bad weather at Athens Municipal Airport and requested clearance to land at Terrell Municipal Airport. Air traffic controllers granted the request and told the Ledets to switch radio frequencies.The last time the Beechcraft Bonanza was seen on radar was at 9:44 a.m. at 2,900 feet. No more radio transmissions were received.It crashed at about 9:45 a.m. near Mabank, southeast of Terrell. At the time, visibility in Terrell was about 10 statute miles and it was overcast with clouds at about 600 feet. The plane's debris stretched across a field about a half-mile east of Farm Road 90 and County Road 2702. All major components of the plane were found.Investigators aren't sure how much fuel was on board.Leonard Ledet's most recent Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate was issued Aug. 31, 2011. He had a private pilot certificate and 340 hours of flight time. Gregory Ledet's most recent medical certificate was issued April 26. He had a private certificate and 130 hours of flight time.Leonard Ledet graduated from the Baylor College of Dentistry, and his practice focused on providing dental care at long-term-care facilities. Gregory Ledet, an Air Force veteran, was his business partner.Paul Ledet was a junior at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, and Mason Ledet was an eighth-grader at Carroll Middle School.Bill Hanna, 817-390-7698Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
