The three people killed when a small plane lost control and crashed onto a busy street in Boca Raton, Florida, were identified by authorities.
Police received a report about a plane "in trouble" and having mechanical issues shortly after taking off from the Boca Raton Airport the morning of April 11. It was in the air for eight to 10 minutes before it crashed and burst into flames at about 10:20 a.m. about a mile from the airport. It crashed near an overpass.
All three on board were killed. Another person, who was driving north on Military Trail in a 2017 Toyota Prius "lost control amidst the fire and crashed into a tree," Boca Raton Police Services Department said in a statement.
The three people who died in the crash were 81-year-old Robert Stark, 54-year-old Stephen Stark and 17-year-old Brooke Stark.
Pablo Tafur, 24, who was driving the Prius, had non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The crash came a day after a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City. Five members of a Spanish family and the pilot all died.
What happened to the plane?
The plane was a twin-engine, six-seater Cessna 310 bound for Tallahassee. According to flight-tracking service FlightRadar 24, a Cessna C310 took off at 10:13 a.m. and circled the airport for several minutes before disappearing from radar over North Military Trail.
It made a series of bizarre loops and witnesses said it was flying dangerously close to the ground before the crash, the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
Kurt Gibson, spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, said it wasn't yet clear what caused the crash or the unconventional flight path after take-off. A full investigation will look into factors such as pilot qualifications, 72-hour history for the pilot, maintenance records, wreckage details and environmental factors, he said.
Crews were able to put out the fire. Roads nearby remained closed overnight.
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