Additional Coverage:
- Relief flight crashes into Florida neighborhood on way to Jamaica for Hurricane Melissa clean up (themirror.com)
Relief Plane Crashes into Coral Springs Lake While En Route to Jamaica
Coral Springs, FL – A Beechcraft King Air twin-turboprop aircraft, intended to deliver aid to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, crashed into a man-made lake in a Coral Springs neighborhood on Monday morning. The incident occurred just outside Fort Lauderdale, according to officials.
The plane reportedly clipped treetops and a backyard fence before plunging into the pond. A spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport confirmed the aircraft was headed to Jamaica with humanitarian supplies.
Coral Springs Deputy Fire Chief Mike Moser stated that a recovery mission is underway, involving police divers. “We were unable to find any victims or any large pieces of fuselage on our initial dive,” Moser said.
“We have not found an entire plane yet. We believe that it may be broken into smaller pieces.”
He emphasized that the investigation is in its preliminary stages.
The number of individuals on board the plane remains unclear. Authorities are urging motorists to avoid the scene as emergency responders work to secure and clear the area.
Witness Zane Smith recounted the dramatic event to WTVJ, saying, “It was honestly crazy, it shook me up. I came over here as fast as possible, and first responders were already on scene.”
Aerial footage from NBC Miami showed one of the plane’s wheels near a backyard pool. Deputy Fire Chief Moser expressed relief that no homes were struck during the crash.
The Coral Springs Fire Rescue is collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the incident. Further updates will be provided as this developing story unfolds.