PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. (WSVN) - A second person has died a day after a small plane took a plunge at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, federal officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the second death in Friday’s crash during a news conference held Saturday.
“Sadly, the instructor and the front-seat passenger were fatally injured, and one person is still in the hospital in critical condition,” said NTSB spokesperson Aaron McCarter.
According to detectives, the plane was carrying three people when it took off around noon in what’s called a discovery flight.
A discovery flight is when a flight instructor takes a paying customer up in the air who is interested in learning how to fly.
At some point shortly after takeoff, investigators said, the aircraft fell from the sky.
“It took off, it them promptly went into a very high angle of attack,” said McCarter. “It crested the angle of attack at the top, did a nose-down attitude, followed promptly by a left turn and impacted the ground in between the runways.”
“Caller advised North Perry Airport, airplane crashed in the field at the end of the runway,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner.
Saturday afternoon, 7News cameras captured crews as they worked to remove the wreckage of the Cessna 172.
The plane’s tail number is listed at N697FL, which, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware, is registered to the Aeroflyin Corp. based in Pembroke Pines.
The Cessna’s tail is also marked with the logo for the ICARO Learn 2 Fly Flight School, located at 1600 E. Airport Road. The aircraft is featured in several pictures on the school’s Instagram page.
Pilots who frequently fly out of North Perry heard about the crash and arrived at the scene. They said they’re traumatized by the tragedy.
“It saddens me; that’s why I came over here to make sure that no one that I know was in that plane,” said pilot Jhoan Arango. “I do have a lot of friends who fly out of here. They’re students, some are already pilots, some own, and so, it’s sad.”
Officials said the plane will now be transported to Fort Pierce so they can begin their investigation. It’s a process that will take at least a year.
“We’ll put the airplane back together again in a rough two-dimensional, three-dimensional position on the floor,” said McCarter, “and that will give us more options and opportunities to find out what caused the accident.”
As of Saturday night, officials have not disclosed the victims’ identities.
The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration continue to investigate.
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