Credited from: INDIATIMES
A small turboprop Beechcraft King Air plane, on a hurricane relief mission to Jamaica, crashed into a pond in Coral Springs, Florida, killing two people shortly after takeoff. The flight departed from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport around 10:14 a.m. on Monday and crashed within minutes, narrowly missing nearby homes, according to SCMP and LA Times.
Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Moser noted that emergency crews arrived just five minutes post-crash but initially found no victims, shifting the operation to recovery. He remarked, “There was no actual plane to be seen. They followed the debris trail to the water,” which highlighted the immediate action taken by responders, as reported by Indiatimes and LA Times.
Local resident Kenneth DeTrolio described the moment of impact, stating that the plane crashed through his backyard, destroying a fence and leaving debris scattered. He added that the smell of fuel lingered in his home for hours post-crash, reflecting the intensity of the incident, according to SCMP and Indiatimes.
The plane was part of a humanitarian effort to deliver aid following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, creating significant damage, including the destruction of roofs on over 120,000 structures. This hurricane had a dramatic effect on local communities, prompting a swift response for relief efforts to the affected areas, as noted by LA Times and SCMP.
Investigators have been deployed to determine the cause of the crash as the community grapples with the loss and the tragic incident related to the humanitarian mission, according to Indiatimes, SCMP, and LA Times.