NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Federal authorities have launched an investigation to determine why a private jet tried to make an emergency landing on a Florida interstate, colliding with a vehicle and sparking a fiery crash that left two people dead.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet had five people aboard when the crash happened around 3:15 p.m. Friday near Naples, just north of where the I-75 heads east toward Fort Lauderdale along what is known as Alligator Alley.
UPDATE 2/14/24 11:40 a.m.: The Collier County Sheriff’s Office identified Edward Daniel Murphy, a 50-year-old pilot and co-pilot Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, as the deceased.
The three survivors were crew member Sydney Ann Bosmans, 23, and passengers Aaron Baker, 35, and Audra Green, 23, both of Columbus.
The three were taken to a local hospital for injuries. Their conditions are unknown.
The plane had taken off from Ohio State’s Don Scott Airport on the Northwest Side at about 1:00 p.m. and was scheduled to land in Naples around the time of the crash, Naples Airport Authority spokesperson Robin King said. A pilot had contacted the tower requesting an emergency landing, saying they had lost both engines.
The pilot was cleared to land on a runway but replied “we’re not going to make the runway. We’ve lost both engines,” according to a tape of the call cited by the the Naples Daily News.
The tower lost contact, and then airport workers saw the smoke from the interstate just a few miles away, King said.
A spokesperson for Ohio State said the aircraft is not affiliated with the university, and they had no further information about it.
According to the FlightAware aircraft tracker, the plane was operated by Hop-a-Jet Worldwide Charter based in Fort Lauderdale and had been scheduled to fly back to Fort Lauderdale Friday afternoon.
Brianna Walker saw the wing of the plane drag the car in front of hers and slam into the wall.
“It’s seconds that separated us from the car in front of us,” she said. “The wing pulverized this one car.”
Walker and her friend spotted the plane moments before it hit the highway, allowing her friend to pull over before the crash.
“The plane was over our heads by inches,” she said. “It took a hard right and skid across the highway.”
Walker said an explosion of flames then burst from the plane with a loud boom. Pieces of the plane littered the highway.
Federal authorities said a preliminary report about the cause of the crash can be expected in 30 days.