A small plane crashed near Boca Raton Regional Airport on Friday morning after reporting mechanical trouble during its approach. Authorities received an alert from the aircraft around 10:17 a.m., but it crashed before reaching the runway. By 10:46 a.m., three fatalities were confirmed, though the identities of the victims have not yet been released. The crash prompted road closures around N. Military Trail and the I-95 overpass at Glades Road, with officials urging the public to avoid the area.
This tragic event occurred less than a day after another aviation disaster in New York, where a Bell 206 helicopter operated by New York Helicopter Charter crashed into the Hudson River, killing six people. The victims included five members of a Spanish family and their pilot. Officials reported the helicopter broke apart midair shortly after takeoff from the Wall Street Skyport. These back-to-back incidents have raised fresh concerns about aviation safety and the mechanical reliability of small aircraft and helicopters.