Mystery surrounds airplane in the bayou

Herald-Guide hopes readers can crack the case

An airplane that crashed in Bayou Des Allemands decades ago has drawn the interest of a local man who has been trying to solve the mystery for nearly a year but has made little headway.

Brad Nolan was fishing in Airplane Canal last spring when he spotted what seemed to be the wreck of an airplane in the marsh near the canal.

“I realized that I have fished this canal for several years now, and never knew how Airplane Canal got its name,” he said. “I began asking the locals about the plane crash and got a lot of local legend, and none of it was ever the same story.”

The first story Nolan heard was that the plane was a military aircraft.

“They said the military came in and removed all of the sensitive electronics from the wreck and left the fuselage,” Nolan said. “The second story I got was that the plane was civilian.

“I even heard a story that the canal was dug to gain access to the crash site.”

Nolan said he couldn’t get a consensus of the time period of the crash, but heard everything from the 50s to the 70s.
Angler Bruce McDonald fishes the area often and said that the tail and a wing are visible. He has heard all sorts of local legends, even that the plane was used to deliver drugs or in a kidnapping.

“I want to get a closer look at the plane, but it’s on a private hunting lease,” McDonald said.

If you can help solve the mystery in Airplane Canal, or have your own theory on how the plane ended up in the bayou, send an email to editor@heraldguide.com or call (985)758-2795.