Two dead after small plane crashes into Florida highway in emergency landing
Traffic was halted on Interstate 75 on Friday afternoon after the crash sent pillars of black smoke into the air, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Three of the five people on board were taken from the wreckage alive.
Saturday 10 February 2024 06:17, UK
Two people have died after a small plane crashed into a vehicle while making an emergency landing in southwest Florida.
Traffic was halted on Interstate 75, near the Pine Ridge Road exit in Collier County, at about 3.15pm on Friday.
Five people were on board the aircraft, identified as a Bombardier Challenger, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Eyewitness Brianna Walker told Reuters news agency she saw the wing of the plane drag the car in front of hers and slam into a wall on the highway.
"It's seconds that separated us from the car in front of us," she said. "The wing pulverised this one car."
Ms Walker and her friend spotted the plane moments before it hit the highway, allowing her friend to pull over before the crash.
She added: "The plane was over our heads by inches. It took a hard right and skid across the highway.
"It feels unreal, like a movie. It was seconds between us dying."
Naples Airport Authority spokesperson Robin King said the plane had taken off from an airport at Ohio State University in Columbus at about 1pm.
It had been scheduled to land in Naples around the time of the crash, but a pilot contacted the control tower at the airport requesting an emergency landing as they had lost both engines.
The tower lost contact before airport workers saw smoke from the interstate, just a few miles away.
Three of the five people on board were taken from the wreckage alive.
Collier County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Adam Fisher said he didn't immediately know whether the two dead had been passengers on the plane or were on the ground.