Obituary of Herber E. Costello, LaSalle Parish, La.
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Submitted by Kathy LeMay Kelly, P.O. Box 219, Trout, La. 71371

Thank You to the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal and the LaSalle Parish
Library for allowing the following to be add to the Archives.

From The Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal
Microfilm located at the LaSalle Parish Library in Jena.

DATE: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 
Page: Front Page

Caption under photo front page:

Fireman Foam Down Wreckage...
Jena Fire Chief Don Smith, assisted by two other fireman, sprays foam onto the
wreckage of a single-engine Cessna that crashed into the middle of La. 127
about eight miles north of Jena around 3:15 p.m. last Wednesday afternoon.
Herber E. Costello, 55, of Oak Grove, pilot of the airplane, was killed in the
crash. La.127 was closed for about 28 hours while FAA and NTSB officials,
assisted by local law enforcement officers, investigated the crash. (See story
and related photo on Page 2A.)

Caption under photo page 2:
EMERGENCY UNITS from several agencies responded and assisted during the crash
of an airplane on La. 127 last Wednesday afternoon. LaSalle Parish Sheriff's
Deputies and State Police were the first on the scene. Soon to arrive were
members of the Jena, Olla and Summerville-Rosefield Fire Departments who aided
in getting the blaze under control. Investigators from FAA and NTSB arrived on
Thursday to conduct and investigation into the crash. Others assisting at the
crash site were the Jena Police Department, Department of Transportation and
Development and Entergy. Sheriff Carl Smith expresses his thanks to everyone
for the quick response and professional manner in which everyone handled this
emergency.

Headline:
Pilot killed in airplane crash

A 55-year-old Oak Grove pilot was killed last Wednesday afternoon when his
single-engine Cessna crashed into La. 127 about eight miles north of Jena near
the LaSalle-Grant Landfill.

Herber E. Costello was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy LaSalle Parish
Coroner Buddy Bethard.

A 17-mile stretch of LA. 127 between Jena and Olla was closed from the time of
the crash until early Thursday night when the investigation was completed.

State Police Semior Trooper Steve Childers said the crash occurred about 3:15
p.m., Wednesday, when the private single-wing Cessna "crashed in the middle of
the roadway."

Costello was apparently enroute to the LaSalle-Grant Landfill which he owned
through Herber E. Costello, Inc.

Officials from the LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Police and
the Jena Fire Department responded to the accident and found a burning plane
with one occupant, officials said.

"Some attempts were made to reach the pilot but were unsuccessful," Childers
said. "There was some fire, then the aircraft became engulfed in flames. It
was a total loss."

He added, "There was only one wing, engine and the tail-assembly left."

"We don't know if the pilot was fatally injured from the crash or was
incapacitated prior to the crash," Childers stated.

However, there was a reported contact between Costello and employees at his
landfill just before the crash.

"He was speaking to them prior to the crash, and he reported being in the
area. Then they ended the conversation," Childers said. "He apparently tried
to make a landing on La. 127 when the plane came in contact with a guy wire,
which goes across La. 127 at the intersection with the landfill road. We
believe this caused hime to lose control and subsequently crash."

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived on the site
about mid-morning Thursday to begin their investigation. They were (continued
on page 2)

Page 2
Headline: Pilot Killed
Continued from page 1

joined by an investigator with the Fort Worth office of the National
Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) later in the day.

By 7 p.m. Thursday night, the officials had finished their on-site work and
the remains of the aircraft were removed and la. 127 was re-opened to traffic.

Childers said the LaSalle Parish Sheriff's Department had received reports of
planes landing on La. 127 in the past but deputies were never able to locate
those planes. He said it is unknown if these previous reports had any relation
to Wednesday's fatal crash.

Investigator from the FAA and NTSB are reconstructing the pieces of the plane
to determine why it clipped a guy wire over the highway. Costello's body was
taken to New Orleans for an autopsy and later released to family members.
Results of the autopsy have not yet been released.