A private passenger jet carrying five individuals crash-landed on a crowded Florida highway, striking two vehicles and resulting in a fatal accident, as reported by authorities and footage from the scene.
The Bombardier Challenger 600 business jet, originating from Ohio, was descending towards Naples Airport when the pilot communicated a dual engine failure, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Footage and images captured at the scene depicted the aircraft ablaze and emitting smoke following its emergency landing on Interstate 75 near Naples, situated on the Gulf Coast of southwestern Florida, where it halted adjacent to a roadside retaining wall.
The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that the plane collided with a car and a pickup truck on the highway. Both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) corroborated that the jet was carrying five individuals.
Highway Patrol spokesperson Molly Best revealed that three individuals from the plane survived while confirming the unfortunate deaths of two others.
However, she refrained from specifying whether the fatalities were occupants of the plane or the involved vehicles, citing ongoing notifications to next of kin. The exact number of individuals in the impacted car and truck remained undisclosed.
According to Miami-based television station WPLG, the pilot communicated to the Naples control tower via air traffic control audio recording, indicating the loss of both engines and the inability to reach the airport.
The aircraft, operated by Hop-a-Jet charter aviation carrier, was originally bound for an executive airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the company is headquartered.
Departing from Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, as confirmed by the NTSB, the flight encountered its tragic end. Within hours, members of an NTSB crash investigation team arrived on the scene, as stated by an agency spokesperson.
