Two Killed During Plane Crash Near Palm Beach County Park Airport

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on March 6, 2023

Authorities with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating a plane crash that claimed the lives of two individuals last Sunday evening near an airport in Palm Beach County.

According to preliminary reports from officials with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, it was close to 9:30 p.m. on March 5, 2023, when emergency responders were first notified of an aviation accident in a field approximately 1,000 feet from a runway at Palm Beach County Park Airport. When they arrived at the scene of the crash, crews with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue stated that the small, single-engine Diamond DA40 plane was already engulfed in flames.

Several Palm Beach County rescue teams fought against the airplane’s raging blaze while others worked at sifting through the dangerous debris in order to find potential survivors of the accident. Their joint efforts were somewhat of a success as the fire was quickly extinguished and two men were pulled from the burning aircraft. Sadly, due to the severe nature of their injuries, these two plane crash victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names are expected to be released once next-of-kin has been notified.

Based on details retrieved from flight-tracking software FlightAware, the downed airplane took off from Henderson, Kentucky at 11:00 a.m. en route to a pit stop in Pine Mountain, Georgia. From there, the small aircraft stopped once again in Williston, Florida before leaving for Lantana, Florida at 7:23 p.m. It was intended to arrive at its final destination at the Palm Beach County Park Airport at 9:26 p.m. Sunday evening.

Accidents involving single-engine airplanes are a far too common occurrence here in Florida and can happen for a number of reasons. Although purely speculation at this point, it is possible that the pilot of the aircraft suffered some sort of medical episode while in the cockpit. It is also possible that the plane sustained a mid-flight mechanical malfunction. A third potential option could be related to high winds and local weather conditions at the time of the crash. Regardless of the reason, our thoughts & deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their families.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.