BOCA RATON, Fla. – Planes were once again taking off and landing at Boca Raton Airport on Friday afternoon, but for many in the aviation community, the day remained far from routine.
The ripple effects of a deadly plane crash near the airport Friday morning were felt by flight instructors, students and staff, including Todd Smith, a flight instructor at Lynn University.
“It’s difficult when a fellow airman has an incident like that,” Smith said.
Smith, who trains pilots at the airport, said he and his team heard the distress calls from the Cessna 310 shortly before 10 a.m.
“We went out and started to listen to the radios to find out what is going on and you hear that he’s got some mechanical issues -- not able to maintain his altitude and unable to fly in a straight line,” Smith said.
At the time, Smith said he had students in the air.
The crash prompted the airport to temporarily shut down, forcing his students to divert to a nearby airport. Once Boca Raton Airport reopened, they were able to return safely.
Smith said the situation became an unexpected teaching moment.
“It’s trying to figure out what I would do in that situation and then bringing the students in and saying, ‘OK, here are some of the things that they are saying and things that you should be thinking about if it were to happen,‘” he said.
Back on the ground, the mood remained somber.
Smith said every pilot understands the risks that come with flying, which is why training is so rigorous.
He added that the flight school would take the next few days to reflect on the tragedy.
