Florida plane crash horror as multiple dead and 'fireball' erupts

Three people were killed and one was injured when a small plane crashed on Friday morning in south Florida near a major interstate highway and pushed a car onto train tracks, officials said.

Boca Raton Fire Rescue assistant chief Michael LaSalle said the plane crash that killed all three people on board emitted a fireball when it hit the ground, injuring a person in a nearby car.

Mr LaSalle said several roads near the Boca Raton Airport will remain closed near Interstate 95. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the plane as a Cessna 310 with three people on board.

The plane went down at around 10.20am, after departing from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee, the FAA said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating, with the NTSB leading the probe.

Fire officials told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the aircraft appeared to have pushed a car onto the train tracks, leading to their closure. The fate of the car’s occupants also was unknown.

Josh Orsino, 31, said he was stopped at a red light at a nearby overpass when he heard a loud explosion and saw a huge fireball come towards him.

“We’re just sitting there, and I see the palm trees start catching on fire,” Mr Orsino said. “I thought it was an oil rig or a car crash type thing.”

Mr Orsino said everyone was honking and trying to get off the overpass, not sure if it was going to collapse.

“So I didn’t know if the fire was going to come towards the vehicles, I mean, my first instinct was like, I got to get off this bridge. I’m getting out of here.”

Miguel Coka, 51, who works near the Boca Raton airport, said he is used to seeing planes flying low as they prepare to land, but this time, he and his colleagues noticed something was off.

“There was a rumble and everyone in the building felt it,” he said when the plane crashed. “We are all shocked.” He captured the smoke and flames from the crash from his office balcony on video.

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the investigation was just beginning. Mr Singer said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue.”

A major road was closed as crash investigation officers were redirecting traffic. Inside the police taped-off areas were Boca Raton police vehicles, airport operations vehicles and police mobile command units while helicopters circled the area.

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