A small plane crashed in a ball of flames in Boca Raton Friday morning, killing the three people on board and leaving a man who was in a vehicle on the ground injured, officials said.
What to Know
- Three people were killed when a small plane crashed in Boca Raton Friday morning
- The crash happened after the plane, a Cessna 310, had taken off from Boca Raton Airport
- Officials said there were reports the plane was experiencing mechanical issues before it went down
- Videos showed a ball of fire and heavy smoke after the plane crashed near roadways and railroad tracks
- A man who was in a car on the ground was injured when the plane came down next to his vehicle
- The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash
A small plane crashed in a ball of flames in Boca Raton Friday morning, killing the three people on board and leaving a man who was in a vehicle on the ground injured, officials said.
The crash happened in the area of Military Trail and Glades Road, not far from Boca Raton Airport and Interstate 95.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane, a Cessna 310 carrying three people, went down around 10:20 a.m. after departing from Boca Raton Airport on its way to Tallahassee International Airport.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Michael LaSalle said the three people who were on the aircraft were killed and a man who was in a vehicle on the ground was injured. He suffered non-life threatening injuries.
"One gentleman on the ground, he hit a tree because of all the debris and the fire," LaSalle said. "It was from the fireball on the ground, he drove through apparently the fireball."
U.S. & World
That man, Pablo Tafur, said he was driving to work when the plane dropped out of the sky.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
"I saw the plane fly low and continued through and next thing I know it's on top, right in front of me and exploded, impacted right in front of my car and it crashed I tried to steer out of the way but it was pretty much unavoidable," Tafur said. "Got out of the car that was on fire, through the flames, and made it to safety."
Aerial footage from NBC Miami's Chopper 6 showed debris scattered across a roadway and on train tracks as fire crews hosed down the wreckage.
The three bodies were seen in the wreckage and Tafur's damaged vehicle was also nearby next to a tree.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft appeared to be circling in the air as it turned back around to Boca Raton Airport.
LaSalle said crews responded after there were reports that the plane was having mechanical issues.
Jared Scarpato, a student pilot at Boca Raton Airport, said he also heard there were issues with the aircraft.
"Somebody said on frequency that they are declaring an emergency for a stuck rudder," Scarpato said. "All we heard five minutes after was just sirens, sirens, so just devastating.”
Witnesses who work nearby and saw the crash said they saw the plane flying low and then felt their building shake when it crashed.
"It basically came back, it was looking like maybe it was going towards the airport, approaching and from there I just saw it drop below the trees," witness Dillon Smith said. "I heard the boom and basically shake of the windows simultaneously and then saw a cloud of smoke."
The plane caught fire with plumes of smoke billowing into the air, the witnesses said.
"We thought when we saw it, it skimmed like the top of like one of the buildings, that's how low it was," witness David Simon said.
Boca Raton Police said officers had responded and streets in the area were closed.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: N. Military Trail is closed between NW 19th St. and Butts Rd. due to small aircraft crash. I-95 overpass at Glades Rd. is also closed eastbound and westbound. Avoid the Area. pic.twitter.com/U0XjnSd76O
— Boca Raton Police (@BocaPolice) April 11, 2025
Officials with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's office were later seen arriving at the scene.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Kurt Gibson arrived Friday afternoon to conduct an investigation.
Gibson said the plane, which was built in 1977, had taken off around 10:15 and was in the air eight to ten minutes.
He said he was collecting data and interviewing witnesses as part of the investigation.
"Our mission at the NTSB is to figure out what happened, why it happened and what we can do to prevent this from happening again," Gibson said.
The airport was closed but reopened around noon. Tri-Rail officials said there were delays due to the crash and a bus service was being used to get passengers around the area.
⚠️Due to a small plane crash near the rail corridor, a bus bridge has been established between Deerfield Beach & Boca Raton Stations. Rail service will continue south of Deerfield & north of Boca, however riders may want to seek alternative transportation due to expected delays.
— Tri-Rail (@Tri_Rail) April 11, 2025
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer called it a "tragic loss of life" while speaking with reporters.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and all affected, of the deceased," he said.
The crash will be investigated by the FAA and the NTSB and the investigation could take months, Gibson said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates here.
