(CNN) The pilot of a stunt plane that crashed, killing a popular New Orleans anchor, radioed the tower that he was having unspecified problems with the aircraft shortly after takeoff, the National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday.

The pilot, who also died in the crash Friday, was cleared to return to the Lakefront Airport in New Orleans when witnesses said it appeared the plane had engine problems. The nose of the plane pointed down and the aircraft crashed, the NTSB reported witnesses saying.

Most of the aircraft was destroyed by fire, the NTSB said.

Nancy Parker was shooting a story in a stunt plane, her employer WVUE, a CNN affiliate, reported when the crash happened in a field.

"Nancy was a part of the Fox 8 family for the last 23 years. She put her heart and soul into her work, covering thousands of stories and touching countless lives," Vice President and General Manager Tim Ingram said. "She made a difference in the lives of those she reported on. She will be sorely missed, and her absence creates a void that cannot be filled."

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