The heart-wrenching tragedy involving a Louisiana sports reporter, Carley McCord, has left an indelible mark on her family and community. Carley, aged 30, was among the five victims who perished in a plane crash on December 28, 2019. The aircraft was heading to a much-anticipated football game between Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of Oklahoma in Georgia when disaster struck.

The ill-fated plane went down near a post office and a Walmart in Lafayette, Louisiana. The crash was so severe that it struck a vehicle, flipping it over, before crashing into a tree. This tragic event not only claimed Carley’s life but also took the lives of pilot Ian Biggs, 51, and passengers Robert Crisp II, 59, Gretchen Vincent, 51, and her 15-year-old son, Michael ‘Walker’ Vincent.

Reflecting on this terrible day, Carley’s mother, Karen McCord, shared the sorrowful moment she learned about the accident. Marking the sixth anniversary of her daughter’s untimely death, Karen, now 66, spoke about the deep sense of loss and heartbreak that has stayed with her since that fateful day.

Pilot Ian Biggs, 51, and passengers Robert Crisp II, 59, Gretchen Vincent, 51, and her son Michael ‘Walker’ Vincent, 15, were also killed in the crash.

During the sixth anniversary of her daughter’s death, Carley’s mother, Karen McCord, 66, recalled the devastating moment she learned of the crash.

‘I got a phone call from one of Carley’s bridesmaids, and she said, “Is it true?” And I said, “What?” And she said, “The plane crash.” And then she hung up,’ Karen told KLFY.

‘Then she called back and she said, “Look, there’s been a plane crash in Lafayette, Louisiana. You know, five people have been reported dead. But there was another person that was alive.”

‘I was keeping my fingers crossed, praying to God that maybe it was Carley,’ she said. 

Journalist Carley McCord (pictured), 30, was among five people killed in a plane crash on her way to a football game between Louisiana State University and the University of Oklahoma in Georgia on December 28, 2019

During the sixth anniversary of her daughter’s death, Carley’s mother, Karen McCord (right), 66, recalled the devastating moment she learned of the crash

The plane came down near a post office and Walmart in Lafayette, Louisiana, hitting a car, flipping it over and then slamming into a tree

Karen described a conversation she had with her grief counselor discussing all of the things she wished she could have done differently on the day of the crash. 

‘I would try. I would have driven to her car, I mean, to her home, slashed her tires, you know, destroyed her car so she couldn’t get there,’ she said.

The mother said she was inspired by her grief journey to write a book about her daughter, which is titled Only Rainbows, the McCord Story.

‘I could just actually feel God nudging me to say that you’re going to write another book and that this book is going to be about Carley and about grief,’ Karen said.

Not only was Carley on her way to the game for work, but she was also going to cheer on her father-in-law, LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger Sr.  

He was seen wiping away tears before the game, in which his team would go on to win 63-28. 

Carley’s husband, Steven Ensminger Jr., filed a lawsuit against the plane’s owners and the pilot’s estate months after the crash, the Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported.

In the lawsuit, Ensminger accused the owners and the pilot of failing to properly maintain the plane and of allowing Biggs to fly in unfavorable weather conditions without proper training. 

Carley’s husband, Steven Ensminger Jr. (right), filed a lawsuit against the plane’s owners and the pilot’s estate months after the crash and revealed his wife had a fear of flying

Carley’s mother said she was inspired by her grief journey to write a book about her daughter, which is titled Only Rainbows, the McCord Story

Not only was Carley on her way to the game for work, but she was also going to cheer on her father-in-law, LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger Sr (right), who was seen crying before his team went on to win the game

He claimed that his wife had a fear of flying, which caused her to experience severe emotional trauma, panic, and damage to her nervous system and psyche once she realized the plane was going down.

‘Upon information and belief, Carley McCord Ensminger sustained severely painful and debilitating bodily injuries when (the plane) contacted the ground and when the aircraft caught fire,’ the filing stated,

‘Said bodily injuries caused Carley McCord Ensminger to experience virtually unimaginable pain and suffering until the moment of her untimely death.’ 

The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2023, according to The Acadiana Advocate.