Florida, United States: A twin-engine Beechcraft King Air aircraft en route to Jamaica on a humanitarian relief mission crashed into a residential neighborhood in Coral Springs, Florida, shortly after take-off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport on Monday morning.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft departed at around 10:14 a.m. local time and went down just minutes later, striking several trees and a fence before plunging into a retention pond behind homes near the 4700 block of Northwest 19th Street.
Local authorities confirmed that two people onboard were killed in the crash. No injuries were reported on the ground. Residents described hearing a loud explosion followed by a plume of smoke and debris splashing into the pond.
“I thought a bomb had gone off,” said Coral Springs resident Luis Hernandez, whose backyard fence was destroyed by falling wreckage. “When I ran out, I saw parts of the plane floating and fuel spreading across the water.”
The Beechcraft King Air, a popular turboprop used for charter and relief missions, was reportedly carrying emergency supplies bound for Jamaica, which is recovering from widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. The storm left hundreds displaced across the island after flooding and landslides over the weekend.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA have launched a joint investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Early reports indicate that the aircraft experienced mechanical trouble shortly after departure. Divers from the Coral Springs Fire Department were deployed to recover debris and search for possible additional victims, but none were found.
Authorities said no homes suffered major structural damage, though several properties sustained minor impact from debris and jet-fuel contamination. Environmental teams have been deployed to contain spillage from the wreckage site.
FAA records show that the aircraft was registered to a private relief organization based in South Florida. Officials have yet to release the identities of the two victims pending notification of their families.
As of Tuesday morning, investigators remained on scene, cordoning off the area while recovery crews removed fragmented fuselage sections from the pond. The NTSB is expected to release its preliminary findings within two weeks.
