Two occupants were killed in an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University training flight Wednesday shortly after takeoff from Daytona Beach International Airport, officials said.
The plane crashed about 25 yards west of Tomoka Farms Road, near the Daytona Flea & Farmers Market. Emergency calls came in at 9:54 a.m. with witnesses saying they saw a wing fall off a plane before it crashed. The wing was across Tomoka Farms, to the east and 150-200 yards, from the rest of the mangled fuselage.
The aircraft was an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University plane, school officials confirmed.
“We are aware of the airplane accident that occurred today. We are cooperating fully with the investigation of this tragic accident,” Anne Botteri, ERAU Vice President of Marketing and Communications said in an emailed statement. “We will be releasing further information as soon as it’s available.”
Embry-Riddle students were gathering at the scene late Wednesday morning.
“My information is that it was a training flight that took off from Daytona Beach,” Chitwood said. No distress call was received before the plane went down.
The FAA said in an email that it was investigating the crash of the plane it identified as a Piper PA-28. The Piper PA-28 is a small single-engine aircraft with low-mounted wings.
