A small twin-engine plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday morning in front of beachgoers near Boca Raton, Florida. The aircraft, a Piper PA30-series, descended into the water approximately two miles east of Boca Raton Airport around 9:40 a.m. The pilot, the sole occupant of the plane, was rescued by Boca Raton Ocean Rescue and transported to a local hospital as a precaution. Authorities reported that the pilot escaped the incident without injury.
The flight had departed from Page Field in Fort Myers and was en route to South Bimini Airport in the Bahamas. Witnesses on the beach described seeing the aircraft descending toward the ocean.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Cassandra Nolan confirmed the aircraft type. Clara Bennett, executive director of the Boca Raton Airport Authority, stated the plane had been cleared to land at Boca Raton Airport after an emergency was declared but never reached the runway.
Sources at the scene indicated that the aircraft appeared to have made a controlled descent. One resident observing the event noted that the plane initially seemed undamaged. As the hours passed, the aircraft sank, leaving only its tail visible above the water as preparations were made for its recovery.