Engines failed

Crash landing on US highway – two passengers dead

Two people on board a private jet have died in an emergency landing on a highway in the US state of Florida. The Bombardier Challenger 600 aircraft with a total of five passengers crashed onto the Interstate 75 highway near the city of Naples.

The plane, which had taken off from Ohio, had actually intended to land at Naples Airport on Florida's west coast. However, two minutes before the planned landing on Friday afternoon, the pilot reported a failure of both engines to the air traffic controllers and requested permission for an emergency landing, according to airport spokesman Robin King.

The pilot then explained that he would not be able to make it to the runway - "and tried to land on I-75".

Three people survived
Three of the five people on board the plane survived the emergency landing, the remaining two died on impact, police said. Local media showed videos (see above) of the private jet in flames on the side of the highway and thick, black smoke. It was initially unclear whether the plane had also hit any cars. The authorities began an investigation.