BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP/WSVN) — A small plane carrying three people crashed Friday morning in South Florida near a major interstate highway and railroad tracks, officials said.
The Boca Raton Police said in a social media post that several roads near the Boca Raton Airport were closed near Interstate 95. Local media reported the plane was on fire, with a large plume of smoke and firefighters were responding.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Cessna 310 with three people on board, though it wasn’t immediately known if anyone had died. It went down about 10:20 a.m. after departing from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee, the FAA said in an email. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the probe.
Fire officials told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the aircraft appeared to have pushed a car onto the railroad tracks, leading to their closure.
According to Boca Raton Fire Rescue, the person inside the vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries and were transported to a hospital for further treatment.
“Three on the plane. Three souls on board and we can confirm those were all fatalities. One gentleman on the ground—he hit a tree because of all the debris and the fire. It’s not life-threatening injuries on him. We treated him and sent him to the hospital,” said Michael LaSalle, Boca Raton Fire Rescue Assistant Chief.
Miguel Coka, 51, who works near the Boca Raton airport, said he is used to seeing planes flying low as they prepare to land. But this time, he and his colleagues noticed something was off.
“There was a rumble and everyone in the building felt it,” he said when the plane crashed. “We are all shocked.”
He captured the smoke and flames from the crash from his office balcony on video.
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the investigation was just beginning.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities,” Singer said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.”
Officials with South Florida Regional Transportation Authority said rail traffic is stopped between the Boca Raton and Deerfield stations. A bus bridge is being arranged between the two stations to maintain service but train service will experience delays, most likely for the rest of the day.
The accident has shut down roads on North Military Trail between Northwest 19th Street and Butts Road, as well as the I-95 overpass at Glades Road eastbound and westbound. Inside the police taped-off areas were Boca Raton police vehicles, airport operations vehicles and police mobile command units while helicopters circled the area.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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