Florida Freeway Patrol says a small airplane with 5 folks from The Ohio State College’s airport collided with a car in Collier County on Friday afternoon making a fiery particles subject and shutting Interstate 75.
Collier County Sheriff’s Workplace confirmed at the very least two individuals are lifeless.
Witness sees plumes of black smoke minutes after crash
Naples-area resident Jinny Johnson occurred upon the crash simply minutes after it happened, heading north on I-75 round 3:20 p.m.
“Swiftly I noticed quite a lot of black smoke,” Johnson stated. “It was pitch black. As I received nearer, the smoke received just a little lighter. After which I noticed flames.”
Flames shot into the air, consuming into the airplane, and there was a broken automotive sitting on the median, Johnson stated. As she crept north, sticking to the curb lane on the far aspect of the highway to provide herself as a lot area from the airplane as potential, she watched all the pieces unfold.ย
Emergency autos had not but arrived, and as visitors crept alongside, she watched a helicopter land close to the wreckage. Ambulance, hearth and police autos sped north up the edges of the interstate on the southbound aspect, she stated. She thought it had hit a aspect wall alongside the freeway, however could not make sure. Johnson added that she noticed a primary responder was sitting subsequent to an individual on the median, who appeared to have been within the automotive.
Naples Airport dispatched firetrucks with a particular foam-type substance that may assist management jet gas fires.ย
As firefighters hosed down the airplane, the smoke modified from black to grey to white.
FAA confirms crash of airplane from Columbus, Ohio
The Federal Aviation Administration stated the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet crashed on southbound Interstate 75, close to mile marker 107, Pine Ridge Highway, at about 3:10 p.m. At the very least one car was destroyed.
The airplane crashed roughly 4.7 miles from the airport.
The airplane was coming from Columbus, Ohio, to the Naples Airport and scheduled for departure to Fort Lauderdale, stated Robin King, the director of communication with The Naples Airport Authority.
It left Ohio at 12:30 p.m.
King stated the airport misplaced communication with the airplane simply earlier than the crash.
“It was coming in for a touchdown,” she stated. “We obtained phrase that it had presumably misplaced an engine, we now have not confirmed that, then we misplaced contact.” ย
In a tape launched of the ultimate name from the pilot, the pilot tells an airport controller they will not make the runway.
Pilot: “Okay, Challenger, Hop-A-Jet 823, misplaced each engines, emergency. I am making an emergency touchdown.” Controller: “I’ve received an emergency. Clear to land Runway 23.” ย Pilot: “We’re clear to land however we’re not gonna make the runway. We have misplaced each engines.” ย
Naples airport had no data on who was on airplane
King didn’t have a time for departure to Fort Lauderdale.
“We do not have anyone right here on the basic aviation terminal ready for them,” she stated. “We do not know who they’re, the character of the enterprise. We do not know why they’re coming right here.”
Friday evening, the Hop-a-Jet constitution firm launched a press release saying it had “obtained confirmed reviews of an accident involving one in every of our leased plane close to Naples” and that it might dispatch a workforce to the crash website.
“Our quick concern is for the well-being of our passengers, crew members, and their households,” the assertion stated.
The FAA and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board will examine the incident.
Florida Freeway Patrol troopers remained on the scene Friday evening. By 7:40 p.m., northbound lanes of the interstate had reopened, however southbound lanes have been closed because the investigation continued.
Troopers suggested drivers to keep away from the realm and search alternate routes. The FAA additionally restricted airspace within the space across the crash.
Officers at OSU stated the Columbus, Ohio airport is totally industrial, and the airplane just isn’t affiliated with the college.
Naples Every day Information and Fort Myers Information-Press journalists Liz Freeman, Kendall Little, Invoice Smith, Andrew West, Stacey Henson and Alex Martin and Jim Wilhelm of the Columbus Dispatch contributed to this report.