Disturbing air traffic control audio has revealed a moment of utter panic inside a private jet moments before it crashed onto a Florida freeway, killing two.
The sound captured aboard the Bombardier Challenger 60 plane appears to be one of panicked voices, or a malfunctioning aircraft – but it is impossible to tell.
This was the final transmission made by the plane, which had five people on board, before it crashed onto the I-75 outside Naples at 3.15pm on Friday afternoon.
Three people survived the tragedy, although details on whether they were injured have not been shared.
None of those on board have been identified and a cause has yet to emerge, although one expert suggested the loss of both engines could have been caused by a bird strike.
The plane was just one minute away from making an emergency landing at Naples Airport – but another moment of audio reveals how its pilot already knew they would not make it.
‘OK, Challenger, Hop-A-Jet 823, lost both engines, emergency. I’m making an emergency landing,’ the pilot said.
A private plane has crashed into cars on a major highway, causing a massive explosion and killing two of the five people on board
A least one brave motorist was seen rushing toward the downed plane, hoping to assist survivors despite the extreme danger
Air traffic control told colleagues he had an emergency and informed the pilot he was clear to land runway 23.
But the pilot responded: ‘We’re clear to land but we’re not gonna make the runway. We’ve lost both engines.’
Agonizing seconds of silence go by before a moment of sheer, unintelligible panic breaks through from the pilot.
Air traffic control radios back, but it is already too late. The next broadcast is another controller warning there was an emergency in progress.
‘Everybody stand by, there’s an emergency in progress, everybody stand by,’ she said.
Seconds later, a rescue helicopter requests clearance and is immediately granted. The plane hit the ground just 4.7 miles short of the airport.
Dramatic photos and video taken by passing motorists showed the burning wreck and pieces of wreckage strewn across I-75 in Collier Country, Florida
One video showed an explosion rock the burning plane, and seconds later its charred left wing fell off
A private plane has crashed into a vehicle on a Florida highway causing a massive explosion
Numerous aviation disasters, even on much bigger jet airlines, were caused by bird strikes – including the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009.
Dramatic photos and video taken by passing motorists showed the burning wreck and pieces of wreckage strewn across the highway.
One video showed an explosion rock the burning plane, and seconds later its charred left wing fell off.
A least one brave motorist was seen rushing toward the downed plane, hoping to assist survivors despite the extreme danger.
The flight was traveling to Naples Airport from Ohio State University Airport, according to FlightAware data, although the college says the plane merely used its facilities and did not have a connection to the university itself.
Both lanes of traffic on the highway were shut down for four hours, and traffic on the southbound lane will be closed for at least 24 hours
Black smoke billows from the wreck as cars are stuck in an hours-long traffic jam
Police and emergency responders flooded the scene and state troopers only opened the northbound land four hours after the accident.
The plane belonged to Hop-a-Jet, a Florida-based private chartering company, and was not related to the university.
The company said it ‘received confirmed reports of an accident involving one of our leased aircraft near Naples’ and that it would send a team to the crash site.
‘Our immediate concern is for the well-being of our passengers, crew members, and their families,’ it said.
The Federal Aviation Authority closed all southbound lanes for 24 hours while it investigated the crash.
One FAA investigator was already on the scene with more to arrive over the weekend. A preliminary report was due in 30 days.
Police and emergency responders flooded the scene and state troopers only opened the northbound land four hours after the accident.
Video footage captured by drivers show the aftermath of the accident, revealing burning flames emanating from the plane as a brave bystander is seen rushing toward the smoke
The plane, a Bombardier Challenger 600 with a capacity for up to 14 people, reportedly lost an engine before the massive crash
The incident occurred on I-75 in Collier County near Pine Ridge Rd