Small plane crashes outside North Perry Airport

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A pilot was injured after a small plane crashed outside of North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Sky 10 flew over the scene where emergency crews were seen assessing the damage in the area of 721 SW 72nd Avenue.

Pembroke Pines police said the pilot was conscious and breathing following the crash, but they didn’t specify the extent of his or her injuries.

Sky 10 was over the scene just before 3 p.m. where the person involved in the crash was being taken out of an ambulance after arriving at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.

Local 10 News reporter Samiar Nefzi spoke with Theresa Shaia, who recalled the moment she and another woman jumped into action, helping the pilot who had just been involved in a crash.

“We just got him on the wing,” she said. “He had injured his back and had a gash on his forehead.”

Peter Scialol spoke with Local 10 News about overhearing the sounds of the plane when it crashed.

“All of a sudden I heard a big loud bang,” he said. “To me, it sounded like a dump truck going over a speed bump.”

Olga Larmond, who lives nearby North Perry Airport, told Local 10 News that she was thankful that the plane didn’t crash into her house.

“I’m very lucky it didn’t happen on the roof or something like that,” she said. “Thank God it didn’t happen here at the house.”

Authorities said traffic along Southwest 72nd Avenue, just south of Pines Boulevard, were temporarily diverted but the lanes have since been reopened.

Police said the pilot was the only person on board at the time of the crash.

Records from the Federal Aviation Administration showed the plane is a single-engine Mooney M20E and is registered to Michael B. David, of Miami Beach.

Authorities told Local 10 News the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the investigation to determine what went wrong.

4 p.m. report

3 p.m. report

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