Five persons were on board the Bombardier Challenger 600 series jet when it crashed on Interstate 75 close to Naples, Florida, according to the police.
Two persons were killed after a small plane carrying five people crashed on Friday afternoon on Interstate 75 close to Naples, Florida, and burst into flames, according to authorities. It was reported that three of the passengers managed to exit the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement following the plane’s accident on the roadway at approximately 3:15 p.m. The aircraft was a Bombardier Challenger 600 class jet. Whether there were any injuries on the ground was not immediately apparent.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement on Friday that preliminary data indicated the pilot had radioed that the aircraft had experienced a dual engine failure as it neared Naples Airport. The organisation declared that while it conducted its preliminary inquiry, it would not comment on the crash’s cause.
The fuselage of the aircraft was engulfed in flames, and a thick cloud of smoke was seen rising above the crash site in pictures and video taken at the scene.
According to Naples Airport’s director of communications, Robin King, the aircraft took off from Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio.
About two or three minutes prior to their scheduled landing time of 3:15 in Naples, Ms. King stated, “our tower received word from the pilots that they have, quote, lost both engines.” “We’re not quite sure what that means. We stopped communicating.
According to Ms. King, the plane crashed two or three miles from the airport. She said that three of the five occupants of the aircraft managed to escape.
According to a spokeswoman for Ohio State University, the aircraft had no connection to the school.
According to Ms. Walker, her friend’s mother drove onto the median to avoid the plane because she and her friend thought it may explode.
“You need to drive now,” I said. “Now or never,” Ms. Walker declared. “We just made the reservation.”
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a six-mile stretch of Interstate 75 will be closed for at least 24 hours. Local authorities advised people to stay away from the area until the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration conducted their investigation. Troops from the Florida Highway Patrol were also there.
Highway cameras saw hundreds of cars caught in traffic, unable to avoid many law enforcement vehicles at the area, more than two hours after the crash.
“Several more” investigators are likely to arrive on Saturday to look into the collision, according to the N.T.S.B. The government announced that it would review weather reports, aircraft maintenance records, and flight track data as part of its inquiry.
In addition, the agency declared that it will investigate the pilot’s credentials, flying history, and any actions taken in the 72 hours prior to the incident that would have compromised the pilot’s fitness to operate an aircraft. Anyone who captured footage of the collision or observed it was asked to get in touch with the agency.
FlightAware, a website that tracks flights, states that the plane, which officials claimed was registered under the number N823KD, was supposed to depart from Naples on Friday afternoon and arrive in Fort Lauderdale.
One of the aircraft in the fleet of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter is a Challenger 604 registered under the registration number N823KD. The airline claims that the jet can accommodate up to 12 people.
Hop-A-Jet International Jet Charter verified in a statement on Friday that the aircraft that crashed was rented by them. The business promised not to release the names of anyone involved in the crash, but it would assist with the inquiry.
The firm stated, “Our first concern is for the safety of our passengers, crew, and their families.”