A small plane on a hurricane relief mission to Jamaica crashed into a pond in Coral Springs, Florida, killing two people shortly after takeoff. The aircraft narrowly missed homes in the gated neighborhood where it went down, authorities said.
The Coral Springs Police Department confirmed the deaths Monday afternoon but gave no additional details about the victims. Emergency crews responded within minutes after the crash was reported. Fire officials said no homes were damaged, though debris landed near the pond and a broken fence was visible at a nearby property.
“There was no actual plane to be seen,” said Mike Moser, deputy chief of the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department. Rescue crews followed a trail of debris into the water and conducted a search with divers before shifting to recovery operations.
Resident Kenneth DeTrolio said the plane crashed through his backyard, destroying his fence, toppling palm trees, and contaminating his pool and patio with fuel. “We heard the strangest sound. I never heard anything like it before,” he said. The fuel smell lingered in his home for hours after the crash.
Officials warned residents that police would maintain a strong presence as investigators collected evidence. Federal aviation authorities will examine the cause of the crash.
The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air built in 1976, took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at approximately 10:14 a.m., with the crash occurring just five minutes later. King Air models can seat seven to 12 passengers. FAA records show the plane was registered to International Air Services, a company that helps non-US citizens register aircraft with the FAA.
Flight tracking data indicated the plane had made four recent trips between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands in the past week before landing in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. It was part of relief efforts following Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica on October 28 as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread destruction.
Melissa damaged or destroyed the roofs of more than 120,000 structures in Jamaica, affecting roughly 90,000 families. Even a week after the hurricane, more than 2,000 people remained in shelters. Relief organizations and local Caribbean American communities mobilized to provide aid.
Broward County, where the crash occurred, has a strong Caribbean American population that has been active in collecting and sending hurricane relief supplies. Authorities continue to investigate the crash while emphasizing the safety of the neighborhood’s residents.
