A Bombardier Challenger 600 jet carrying five people crashed into a busy interstate near Naples, Florida, hitting a vehicle and killing two people.
The accident occurred on February 9, 2024 at around 15:15 local time, along Interstate 75, on the side of what is known as Alligator Alley.
The aircraft, with registration N823KD, took off from the Ohio State University Airport (OSU) at around 13:00 local time and was scheduled to land at Naples Airport (APF) before departing for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE).
According to a report from Al Jazeera, prior to the aircraft crashing onto the highway, the pilot managed to tell an airport controller that the aircraft “was not going to make the runway” since it had lost both engines.
The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing along the highway, but collided with a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and slammed into a wall.
According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two people were killed in the incident, the Bombardier’s pilot Edward Daniel Murphy, 50, of Oakland Park, Florida, and second-in-command Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, of Pompano Beach, Florida.
Three people in the aircraft survived the crash – a crew member and two passengers. The occupants of the vehicle also survived, suffering only minor injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the incident.