Today's Edition
(The New York Times/AP)
Three people were killed when a small plane crashed near the airport in Boca Raton, Florida, on Friday, officials said, sending large plumes of smoke billowing into the air as residents reported hearing a thunderous crashing sound.
The three people who died were all on board the Cessna plane when it crashed just after 10 a.m., said Michael LaSalle, an assistant chief and public information officer with the Boca Raton Fire Rescue.
A fourth person on the ground was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after he drove through the "fireball” from the crash and hit a tree, LaSalle said.
The plane’s pilot reported "mechanical issues” just before the crash, he said.
Footage from television news showed debris on a set of train tracks beneath a highway overpass. Boca Raton police said a major section of Interstate 95 had been closed near the crash site.
