A plane crash killed two people who were traveling aboard a twin-engine plane that crashed on the afternoon of Friday, February 9, on Interstate Highway 75 (I-75) near Naples, in Collier County, Florida. .
According to the medium CBS Newsthe aircraft was carrying five passengers at the time of the accident, and it ended up blocking part of I-75 after it fell and began to catch fire.
Through a press release, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the deaths of two people, however, it did not reveal the names of the victims.
The plane ended up hitting near mile marker 107 of I-75, on Pine Ridge Road, north of where the road heads east into Broward County along Alligator Alley.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) agents indicated that the aircraft attempted to make an emergency landing on the highway, but collided with a vehicle that was traveling on it, causing it to burst into flames. .
Several fire trucks and police patrols arrived at the scene, which began to fight to contain the flames and keep other vehicles away from the scene.
The aforementioned media indicates that the aircraft had scheduled a landing at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, and that, according to the flight data, it was returning to Florida from Ohio.
Following the incident, it was reported that I-75 will remain closed for at least 24 hours, all while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) carries out an in-depth investigation into the accident.
Through an official statement, the FHP confirmed that the lanes of I-75 are closed, so they recommended drivers avoid the area and look for alternative routes to reach their destinations.
For its part, the medium Local 10 News identified the model of the aircraft as a Bombardier Challenger 604, which appears to be a private plane.
The aforementioned media points out that, while he was traveling to Fort Lauderdale, he also had a scheduled landing at the Naples airport, and that it was during this trip that he suffered a critical failure.
An audio message sent by the pilot to air traffic control confirmed that the aircraft had lost both engines shortly before the accident, and that it would not be able to reach the airport.
Finally, they noted that the aircraft was registered to East Shore Aviation LLC. This was operated by the charter flight company Hop-a-Jet, whose headquarters are located at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
