Small plane crashes near Boca Raton Airport

2 people on board at time of crash; 1 taken to hospital

BOCA RATON, Fla. – A small plane crashed Wednesday morning outside Boca Raton Airport.

According to Boca Raton police, the plane crashed in a parking lot adjacent to one of the hangars shortly after takeoff.

Two people on board at the time could be seen walking around after the crash. The pilot was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

The crash was caught on surveillance video from Reliable Jet Maintenance in Boca Raton.

The aircraft can be seen skidding out of control, barely missing hitting an employee.  

Officials say the plane took off around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday from the Boca Raton Airport. 

A short time later, the pilot calls over the radio that he needs to return to the tarmac, but the plane never made it. 

A view from Sky 10 showed the badly damaged singe-engine plane in pieces and covered in white foam.

According to the Boca Raton Airport Authority, the plane may have struck a tree on the way down.

The plane was registered to local orthodontist Dr. Robert Eckelson in Boca Raton.

Local 10 learned that Eckelson and his passenger were pulled out of the wreckage bumped and bruised, but alive. 

In July, a small plane skidded off the tarmac and crashed into a fence bordering the airport's perimeter. 

The airport remained open, but police said Airport Road was closed between the Cinemark movie theater and Northwest 40th Street.

The Federal Aviation Administration is conducting an investigation.


About the Authors:

Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando and Panama City Beach.