CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (NY.Post) — Two people were killed Monday morning when a small plane carrying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica crashed into a pond in a residential neighborhood of Coral Springs, just minutes after taking off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, officials said.
The Coral Springs Police Department confirmed in a statement that both victims “tragically lost their lives” in the crash. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured the harrowing final moments as the turboprop plane appeared to clip the edge of the land before its nose slammed into the water, sending debris across the area.
Emergency responders from the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department arrived within minutes but initially found no visible wreckage. Divers entered the water to search for victims, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Moser said. “There was no actual plane to be seen. They followed the debris trail to the water,” he said, adding that the recovery effort has now replaced rescue operations.
The Beechcraft King Air aircraft, which typically seats seven to twelve passengers, departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at approximately 10:14 a.m. en route to Jamaica, carrying supplies for communities still reeling from Hurricane Melissa. The plane went down roughly five minutes later, according to officials.
Authorities said no nearby homes were damaged, though wreckage and debris were scattered throughout the retention pond area. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm in late October, left widespread devastation across the island nation. Power and communication lines were wiped out, and major flooding destroyed infrastructure across all 14 parishes. Jamaican authorities have tentatively confirmed at least 32 storm-related deaths, with several others still under review.
Broward County — home to a large Caribbean American population — has been a key hub for hurricane relief efforts. Many residents had organized shipments of food, medical aid, and building materials to help families affected by the disaster.
The Florida crash follows another aviation tragedy last week when a UPS cargo plane crashed in Kentucky, killing three pilots and 11 people on the ground, including a 3-year-old child and her grandfather.
