Small plane crashes 6 miles from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport

Plane skids, flips over in Everglades after trying to land on road, FAA says

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – A small plane crashed Thursday night in the Florida Everglades after trying to land on a road near Coral Springs, the Federal Aviation Administration said.  

The pilot of the Cessna 152 said she was in the air with a student when the plane began to lose power. They tried to get back to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport when the power cut out completely. 

"I was pretty much (in) control of the airplane and then at the last minute, I could just hear my student freaking out," the pilot said.

That's when they landed on a levee about six miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. The plane then skidded and flipped over into the Everglades.

Witnesses said they saw the plane flying unusually low near Atlantic Boulevard and the Sawgrass Expressway.

"It's very unusual that we'd see a plane flying that low around here," witness Charles Ansy said.

No one on board was injured.

The FAA is investigating the cause of the crash.


About the Authors:

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.