Pensacola, Fl
A pilot died after a plane crashed shortly after takeoff at North Berry Airport in Pembroke Pines.
Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue crews responded to the airport on Pines Boulevard and South University Drive at around 3 PM.
Pilot Cesar Quintana said that when he discovered the plane, it was just a few feet off the ground.
“We saw it about a second before the collision, and it hit the ground with a white copy of smoke,” he said. “It was too fast to see, too quick to really understand what happened. We heard a loud bang. That’s what we saw. I actually called the tower to make sure they knew about it, and that they were working in the emergency cars.”
According to fire officials, the aircraft ran into an engine problem upon takeoff and attempted to return and land on runway 28R.
There was only one person on board, which was identified as the Lancair Legacy, a two-seat aircraft. Officials said the pilot was pronounced dead at the scene.
It’s a home building, and I looked at it quickly, ”said Ed, a pilot who was flying from the airport for more than 30 years. “When it’s piloting, you can do almost anything you want as long as it’s safe to fly.”
Ed, whose last name was not mentioned, added that pilots learn not to return to the airport if they run into trouble after takeoff.
He said, “We knew from the beginning that you are not trying to come back.” “You won’t succeed. Once you start this turn, you will quickly lose height.”
The identity of the pilot is not known yet, but the crashed plane is registered to a person in South Florida.
Pembroke Pines have been sent to an address associated with the owner of the plane, and neighbors said they are awaiting more information.
“He is a wonderful man, a wonderful man,” said a neighbor.
“We are pilots,” said Quintana. “I mean, it’s a human being. It’s a close community, and it’s hard to see that.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident.
