On a Friday morning that should have been routine, a Cessna 172P lifted off from North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and almost immediately ran into serious trouble. Around 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 2026, the single-engine aircraft crashed shortly after departing from North Perry, coming to rest on the grounds of South Florida State Hospital at 800 E. Cypress Drive. Aerial footage showed the aircraft overturned on a grassy area, just feet from hospital buildings. Not exactly the kind of soft landing anyone wants.
Pembroke Pines police confirmed both occupants were conscious and breathing following the crash, and no additional injuries were reported. Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue said when crews arrived, they found two injured adults, who were rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood as trauma patients. Given the circumstances, that outcome could have been far worse. A Cessna 172 flipped upside down next to a psychiatric hospital is not a scenario anyone plans for, and yet here we are.
The plane, registered as N96100, is owned by Trajectory Aviation LLC, based in Hollywood, Florida. The FAA is investigating the cause of the crash, and the Broward County Aviation Department confirmed the plane had two people aboard. Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo described the failed engine as the likely culprit, saying the aircraft “experienced engine failure shortly after it took off.” The cause has not been officially determined, but the pattern is becoming harder to ignore…