A small plane carrying three people crashed in South Florida near a major interstate highway and train 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 after the plane went down shortly after 10am.
Local media reported that the plane was on fire and firefighters were responding.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the plane as a Cessna 310 with three people on board, though it was not immediately known if there were any fatalities.
The plane went down at around 10.20am, after departing from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee, the FAA said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 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 train tracks, leading to their closure. The fate of the car’s occupants also was unknown.
Josh Orsino, 31, said he was stopped at a red light at a nearby overpass when he heard a loud explosion and saw a huge fireball come towards him.
“We’re just sitting there, and I see the palm trees start catching on fire,” Mr Orsino said. “I thought it was an oil rig or a car crash type thing.”
Mr Orsino said everyone was honking and trying to get off the overpass, not sure if it was going to collapse.
“So I didn’t know if the fire was going to come towards the vehicles, I mean, my first instinct was like, I got to get off this bridge. I’m getting out of here.”
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.
Mr Singer said: “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.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.”
A major road was closed as crash investigation officers were redirecting traffic. Inside the police taped-off areas were Boca Raton police vehicles, airport operations vehicles and police mobile command units while helicopters circled the area.
Source: Irish Examiner
