NAPLES, Fla. – Two people were killed after a plane crashed on I-75 in Naples on Friday, according to first responders.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said five people were onboard the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet when it tried to make a landing on I-75 near Pine Ridge Road. They said the plane departed from Ohio State University Airport at around 1 p.m., heading for Naples Municipal Airport.
The plane was due to land at the Naples Airport a little before 3:15 p.m., according to the FAA. However, the pilot radioed Naples’ Air Traffic Control Tower at about 3:10 p.m. with an emergency.
Officials said the pilot was reporting that he lost both engines and requested an emergency landing.
Air traffic controllers cleared the aircraft for a landing when the pilot said he would not make it to the runway at Naples Airport, the FAA said. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the plane hit two vehicles as it was landing on the highway.
CRUSHPhoto byauthor (licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Thick black smoke could be seen from traffic cameras in the area where it landed. A photo given to FOX 13 by WINK News in Fort Myers shows the plane engulfed in flames.