A New Orleans lawyer is dead after officials say a plane crashed at the Slidell Municipal Airport Wednesday night. Slidell Police Department made the announcement about the crash around 7:30 p.m. The pilot of the plane has been identified as Gene Fendler, according to the co-owner of the plane that Fendler was in during the crash. It is believed the plane crash was caused by engine failure, but the reason the engine failed is unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have taken over the investigation. The St. Tammany Fire Protection District and police remained at the scene overnight until the FAA took over the investigation.
The victim’s law firm said in a statement: “We lack words to adequately express the sorrow felt at the sudden loss of our partner and friend, Gene Fendler. He was the absolute best in all of the ways that truly matter: devoted to his family, loyal to his friends, and a natural born leader. His accomplishments in life and in law were extraordinary. Gene was a lawyer’s lawyer, and our law firm will not be the same without him. Quite simply, Gene was the best of us.”
