3 killed in fiery plane crash in Boca Raton, Florida

1/2
Swipe or click to see more

DAMON HIGGINS/THE PALM BEACH POST-USA TODAY NETWORK VIA IMAGN IMAGES

Investigators examine a small plane crash that killed three people on Military Tr. in Boca Raton, Fla., today.

2/2
Swipe or click to see more

GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST-USA TODAY NETWORK VIA IMAGN IMAGES

A dog works the area after a small plane crashed after takeoff, killing all three passengers onboard near the Boca Raton Airport in Boca Raton, Fla., today. The driver of car was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Related Photo Gallery

3 die in Florida plane crash

Three people were killed when a small plane crashed near the airport in Boca Raton, Florida, today, officials said, sending large plumes of smoke billowing into the air as residents reported hearing a thunderous crashing sound.

The three people who died were all on board the Cessna plane when it crashed just after 10 a.m., said Michael LaSalle, an assistant chief and public information officer with the Boca Raton Fire Rescue.

A fourth person on the ground was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after he drove through the “fireball” from the crash and hit a tree, LaSalle said. The plane’s pilot reported “mechanical issues” just before the crash, he said, adding that investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were on their way to the scene to investigate.

Footage from television news showed debris on a set of train tracks beneath a highway overpass. Boca Raton police said a major section of Interstate 95 had been closed near the crash site. Flightradar24, a flight tracking site, captured a dizzying flight pattern as the plane looped and zigzagged around the Boca Raton area. It took off around 10:15 a.m. local time from Boca Raton Airport and was headed to Tallahassee, Florida, according to the site.

The plane, a Cessna 310R built in 1977, was registered to a limited liability company in Delaware, according to a Federal Aviation Administration database. That model seats four to six people. The identities of the victims were not immediately made public.

An NTSB spokesperson, Peter C. Knudson, said an investigator was at the crash site this afternoon documenting the wreckage, which will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.

Don't miss out on what's happening!

Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!

Email Sign Up
By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser's and Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.

As part of the investigation, the agency will review flight data, air traffic control communications, the plane’s maintenance records, weather data, the pilot’s license history and activities in the 72 hours before the crash, witness statements and video footage, including from doorbell cameras. A preliminary report is expected in 30 days, Knudson said.

A business manager at the airport said shortly after the crash that the airport had closed because of an “aircraft incident.” The airport, which mainly operates private and charter flights, had reopened by noon.

Tri-Rail, a commuter rail system, said service had been affected between the Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton stations because of the crash.

Lorenzo Echeverria, a pilot and flight instructor who lives about a mile from the airport, had just returned from a morning run when he heard what sounded like an “abnormally loud” propeller plane.

At first he thought it might be a military aircraft or a bigger propeller plane, but when he checked a flight tracker app, he saw that the plane appeared to be flying in a random pattern that was “all over the place” around 200 feet, “which is extremely abnormal,” Echeverria said. Planes are restricted to flying at least 1,000 feet over congested areas, he said.

“Even someone with a special flight permit wouldn’t be able to do that type of thing,” he said. “Right then and there I knew something was wrong.”

Echeverria did not hear the crash because of his hurricane-proof windows, he said, but the next thing he knew, there was a large black plume of smoke.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

© 2025 The New York Times Company

9 Comments
By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.
Please log in to comment