Two dead after small plane crashes in Florida moments after takeoff

(AP photo)

A small turboprop plane on a hurricane relief mission to Jamaica crashed Monday morning into a pond in a gated residential neighborhood of the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs, Florida, shortly after takeoff.

The Coral Springs Police Department announced that two people “tragically lost their lives” during the crash, according to a press release, The New York Post reported.

Mike Moser, the Coral Springs-Parkland fire department deputy chief, said emergency crews responded within minutes of a call reporting the crash.

Initially, no victims were located during rescue efforts and they shifted to a recovery operation. Moser said no homes were damaged, but crews spotted some debris near the retention pond, according to a report by The Guardian.

Kenneth DeTrolio told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he and his wife were in their home when the plane crashed through their back yard, destroying his fence and toppling palm trees before hitting the water. He said the impact left debris scattered across his yard and that his pool and back porch were “contaminated” with spilled fuel.

The small Beechcraft King Air plane took off from the Fort Lauderdale executive airport at approximately 10.14 am, according to a spokesperson for the City of Fort Lauderdale, which owns and operates the airport. The crash occurred soon after takeoff, with Coral Springs police officers and firefighters responding at 10.19am, just five minutes later, The Guardian reported.