Police officers have identified the two deceased people and survivors of the plane crash that occurred yesterday on a highway in Florida.
A Bombardier Challenger 60 plane crashed on I-75 outside Naples at 3:15 p.m. Friday, leaving two dead and three survivors.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office named pilot Edward Daniel Murphy, 50, and second-in-command Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, as victims of the crash.
Officials clarified that Murphy was from Oakland Park, Florida, and Hofmann was from Pompano Beach, Florida.
Survivors include crew member Sydney Ann Bosmans, 23, along with passengers Aaron Baker, 35, and Audra Green, 23.
While Bosmans was also from Florida, Baker and Green were from Columbus, Ohio.
The three survivors were taken to an area hospital to receive treatment for their injuries.
The pilots reported a failure in both engines just before the crash in an emergency call to air traffic control.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office named pilot Edward Daniel Murphy, 50, and second-in-command Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, (pictured) as victims of the crash.
Survivors include crew member Sydney Ann Bosmans, 23, along with passengers Aaron Baker, 35, and Audra Green, 23.
A private plane crashed into several vehicles on a major highway, causing a huge explosion and killing two of the five people on board.
Hours after the crash, disturbing audio also emerged from air traffic control moments before the crash filled with complete panic.
The plane was just a minute away from making an emergency landing at Naples airport, but another moment in the audio reveals how its pilot already knew he wouldn’t make it.
‘Okay, Challenger, Hop-A-Jet 823, lost both engines, emergency. “I’m making an emergency landing,” the pilot said.
Air traffic control told his colleagues that he had an emergency and informed the pilot that he could land on runway 23.
But the pilot responded: ‘We have permission to land but we won’t make it to the runway.’ We have lost both engines.
Agonizing seconds of silence pass before a moment of pure, unintelligible panic erupts from the pilot.
Air traffic control responds by radio, but it is too late. The next transmission is another controller warning that there was an emergency in progress.
“Everyone be alert, there is an emergency in progress, everyone be alert,” he said.
Video footage captured by the drivers shows the aftermath of the crash, revealing burning flames emanating from the plane while a brave bystander is seen running into the smoke.
The plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600 with capacity for up to 14 people, would have lost an engine before the huge accident
Seconds later, a rescue helicopter requests authorization and is immediately granted. The plane crashed just 7 kilometers from the airport.
Dramatic photos and videos taken by passing motorists showed the burning wreckage and debris strewn across the road.
Video showed an explosion rocking the burning plane and seconds later its charred left wing fell off.
At least one brave motorist was seen running towards the downed plane, hoping to help survivors despite the extreme danger.
The flight was headed to Naples Airport from Ohio State University Airport, according to data from FlightAware, although the university says the plane simply used its facilities and had no connection to the university itself.
The plane belonged to Hop-a-Jet, a private charter company based in Florida, and was not connected to the university.
At least one brave motorist was seen running towards the downed plane, hoping to help survivors despite the extreme danger.
Both lanes of the highway were closed for four hours and traffic in the southbound lane will be closed for at least 24 hours.
The company said it “received confirmed reports of an accident involving one of our chartered aircraft near Naples” and that it would send a team to the crash site.
“Our immediate concern is the well-being of our passengers, crew members and their families,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Authority closed all southbound lanes for 24 hours while it investigated the crash.
An FAA investigator was already on site and more would arrive over the weekend. A preliminary report was due within 30 days.
Police and first responders flooded the scene, and state troopers only opened the road north four hours after the crash.