7 hospitalized after single-engine plane crash lands near airport
By John Iz, Ari Hait
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LAKE WORTH BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — A single-engine plane occupied by two people crashed near Palm Beach County Park Airport in Lake Worth Beach at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
According to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the plane crashed in the 3800 block of Lake Osborne Drive near Cochran Drive. The plane skimmed the roof of a passenger car before hitting the ground and coming to rest on a walking path.
There was no fire and no large fuel leak. The aircraft had extreme damage to the nose, while the vehicle had minor damage to the roof. All involved had exited prior to PBCFR’s arrival.
“I saw the pilot and the passenger leaving,” said June Bingham, a neighbor. “One of them had a gash on his head, and the other one was just sitting up and talking, and everybody seemed to be OK.”
A total of seven people were transported from the scene. The pilot and one passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported by ground to St. Mary’s Medical Center. The vehicle that was struck contained one adult and four children. All five occupants were transported to a local hospital as a precaution.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, a preliminary investigation indicates the aircraft clipped a palm tree at 3820 Lake Osborne Drive before striking a moving vehicle on Lake Osborne Drive.
Neighbors said they’re lucky the crash wasn’t much worse.
“Lucky that the plane didn’t end up in the water. That probably could have been even more devastating,” said Mary Adam de Villiers, the president of Lake Osborne Estates Civic Association. “Or since it’s on the park path, nobody was walking in that area.”
The scene was turned over to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) at approximately 5:15 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responding to the scene.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was an Orlican M8 Eagle.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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