2 injured when small plane crashes in Pembroke Pines near South Florida State Hospital, officials say
Two people were rushed to a Broward hospital late Friday morning after a small plane they were on crashed into a Pembroke Pines neighborhood, according to officials.
According to Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue, emergency crews responded to reports of a single-engine Cessna C172P airplane that crashed just north of the main building at South Florida State Hospital just before 11:30 a.m.
South Florida State Hospital is adjacent to North Perry Airport.
According to information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane crashed shortly after departing from North Perry Airport.
Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue said that when emergency crews arrived at the scene, they found two injured adults, and they were rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood as trauma patients.
However, in a post on X, the Pembroke Pines Police Department said that the injured adults were "conscious and breathing" and that no other injuries were reported.
Emergency officials said that a small fuel leak on the plane was also reported, and it was mitigated by Pembroke Pines fire crews.
The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News Miami that it is investigating the crash and may be releasing a preliminary report on Saturday.
Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo told CBS News Miami that the plane took off westbound and shortly after it experienced engine failure. "The plane took off westbound, and shortly after it took off, it experienced engine failure and went to make a turn, probably to try to go back to the airport, and didn't have altitude and hit a tree and went into a ditch and flipped over," Castillo said.
"It's a good thing for them because it was headed for a building that houses patients who receive medical and mental health care," he added. "The people on board were complaining of back pain. The plane did not ignite".
Castillo criticized the continued crashes at the facility. "Here we go again with North Perry Airport," he said. "It is a routine thing in Pembroke Pines where these crashes continue to happen".
He said there have been about 40 crashes in the past five years involving planes from the airport and its 11 flight schools.
The plane that crashed was from Blue Sky Aviation and is run by Pembroke Pines City Commissioner Jay Schwartz, who told CBS News Miami that they were looking into how the accident happened.
Castillo said it was not known if it was the student or the flight instructor flying the plane. He credited a good Samaritan for helping the crash victims and said he would like to meet and thank him.
He also noted the county was in the process of hiring a consultant to look at air quality and air safety at the airport.
"What can they do to make the air safer in this community that is waiting for that to happen?" he said. "If they can't make it safer, they need to close it down and put the planes somewhere else where they don't threaten people".
CBS News Miami also reached out to Broward Aviation, which runs the airport, and they provided a statement that said in part:
"As a Broward County-owned and operated airport, safety is a top priority at HWO. Earlier in May, the general aviation facility passed its Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) annual inspection with zero discrepancy (no safety, regulatory, or operational violations) for the 26th consecutive year.
FDOT's inspection, which is required to maintain the airport's operating license, includes a review of airfield markings and signs, runway/taxiway lights, approach slopes, and safety areas. While the County will not speculate as to the cause or causes of this accident, we will be cooperating with the authorities as they conduct their investigation."