NTSB Investigators Looking Into Fort Lauderdale Crash
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Eladio Marquez is an instructor pilot and the owner of a Cesena 355 which crashed into a Fort Lauderdale building Saturday.
Officially we do not know who was in the twin-engine plane, but two occupants died in the crash.
"A portion of the right engine is on the exterior," said Tom Monville of the NTSB. "A portion of it, the remainder of the right engine we have not seen yet because of a lot of building debris mixed with the wreckage. The left engine is inside and you can see one propeller blade from the left engine."
Marquez, the plane's owner, is from Rahway, New Jersey. Reports said the aircraft was bound for the Hilliard, Fla. airpark.
The airport manager told CBS4's Hank Tester that it is only a grass strip and might not be able to handle a Cesena 335 due to heavy rain. The 335 can carry six passengers.
The plane might have been worked on recently, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it will be interested in the when's and why's of that possible maintained.
"We have interviewed personnel at the airport for fuel and who interacted with the pilot or the occupant in the aircraft in the day or two before the accident," Monville said. "We have to go back and interview another mechanic who was involved in some sort of inspection."
Meanwhile, the occupants of the warehouse, an organization that provides services to autistic children, is looking for a new location. Ten kids and counselors when in the facility when the plane impacted.
"We are very blessed that everybody was able to go to safety," said Claudia Axelrod of Positive Behavior Supports Corporation.
