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On Friday afternoon, two individuals lost their lives when a small aircraft tried to land on Interstate 75 in southwest Florida due to an emergency. The plane hit a vehicle, causing traffic to come to a stop and creating a large cloud of black smoke in the air.
A plane crash occurred near the Pine Ridge Road exit in Collier County, north of the interstate heading east towards Fort Lauderdale, also known as Alligator Alley. Brianna Walker witnessed the plane’s wing hitting the car in front of hers and crashing into a wall.
“We were only seconds away from the car ahead of us,” she reported. “The wing completely destroyed that car.” Ms. Walker and her companion noticed the aircraft just before it collided with the highway, giving her friend enough time to pull over. “The plane was barely a few inches above our heads,” she recalled.
“It suddenly turned sharply to the right and slid across the road.”
According to Ms. Walker, there was a sudden eruption of fire and a loud blast from the airplane. Debris from the aircraft scattered across the highway.
“It’s hard to believe, almost like a scene from a movie,” she stated. “It only took seconds for us to come close to death.”
The aircraft involved in the accident was identified as a Bombardier Challenger 600 jet by the Federal Aviation Administration. It was reported that five individuals were on board when the crash occurred at approximately 3:15pm. According to Robin King, spokesperson for the Naples Airport Authority, the plane had departed from Ohio State University’s airport in Columbus at 1pm and was en route to Naples, with an expected landing time around the time of the crash.
The pilot communicated with the control tower, urgently requesting to make an emergency landing due to a loss of both engines. However, the tower subsequently lost communication and airport employees observed smoke coming from the nearby interstate.
According to Mr. King, they dispatched fire trucks equipped with unique foam to the location. As a result, three out of the five individuals on board were rescued from the crash.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Adam Fisher confirmed two deaths, but said he didn’t immediately know whether the victims had been passengers on the plane or were on the ground.According to the FlightAware aircraft tracker, the plane was operated by Hop-a-Jet Worldwide Charter based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The plane was originally planned to return to Fort Lauderdale on Friday afternoon. Hop-a-Jet did not promptly reply to an email and phone call requesting a statement. A representative from Ohio State University stated that the plane is not associated with the university and they have no additional details about it.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will jointly conduct an investigation, with the NTSB taking the lead. On Friday afternoon, one NTSB investigator arrived at the location of the crash, and it is anticipated that several others will arrive on Saturday. Their task will be to document the area and inspect the aircraft, which will later be transported to a secure facility for further analysis.
A preliminary investigation into the crash’s cause is expected to be released within 30 days. According to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol, the southbound lanes of the interstate were shut down and drivers were advised to find alternative routes.
Source: independent.co.uk
