A man died after his small plane with a banner crashed on the road near Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, and burst into flames.
The plane crash happened at around 12:30 pm on Wednesday, May 17, and was captured on video.
The aircraft, identified as a yellow Piper PA-25 Pawnee, owned by Aerial Banners, Inc., was flying at low altitude before it suddenly plummeted and crashed on South Park Road, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. Witness Maddie Bracy described the scene as “pretty crazy” and watched as flames engulfed the plane. Fortunately, it narrowly missed colliding with a car by approximately 20 feet.
According to the distress call made by the pilot to air traffic control, he reported encountering difficulties shortly after takeoff. He said he needed to release the banner he was towing, as he could not climb with it attached. He mentioned being at an altitude of 400 feet and intending to release it over a lake. However, the pilot was unable to regain control of the aircraft, which led to the plane’s erratic flight before its crash landing.
Witness Karen Schiff said she could see that the pilot was maneuvering the plane and trying to avoid hitting anyone on the ground. She also said the intensity of the flames when the plane crashed made rescue attempts impossible. Regrettably, the pilot, who was the plane’s sole occupant, did not survive the fiery crash.
Hollywood Police and Fire Rescue personnel responded to the scene and worked to extinguish the flames. Despite their efforts, the pilot was pronounced dead at the crash site.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash to determine the factors that contributed to the tragic accident.
