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A small plane carrying five passengers crashed into a vehicle on a Florida highway as it was making an emergency landing – killing two people and creating a massive fireball.
Friday afternoon’s disaster was partly captured on video and air traffic control audio as the aircraft flew from Columbus, Ohio to Naples, Florida, but lost both of its engines.
As a result, the pilot radioed one of the control towers near the Naples airport, saying they needed to make an emergency landing.
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In the chilling audio … the air traffic controller told the pilot that he was cleared to make the emergency landing on a specific runway.
The pilot replied the plane was not going to make it due to its engine troubles.
Minutes later, the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet took a nosedive into Interstate 75 in Collier County, colliding with the vehicle and exploding into flames.
Witnesses shot cell phone footage of the fiery aftermath … showing the airliner burning on the shoulder of the highway with black smoke billowing out of the wreckage.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed there were two deaths, but it was not clear if they were people on the ground or jet passengers. Three victims from the airliner survived and were taken to the hospital, although their conditions were not known.
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The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation with the National Transportation Safety Board.