Quick-thinking Florida residents saved the pilot and passengers of a small plane which crashed in their neighborhood on Sunday.
According to a report by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, a six seat 1976 Cessna T337G crash-landed in the 6800 block of Southwest 14th Street. 58-year-old Carlos Balza Cardenas piloted the plane and was flying back from a trip in the Caribbean with his family on board. The outlet explains that Cardenas was preparing to land at North Perry Airport at around 8 PM but clipped a tree. The plane reportedly smashed into the ground, covered in branches.
The Cessna T337G caught fire when it hit the ground, and the occupants were trapped inside as smoke filled the aircraft. Fortunately for the family, residents in the neighborhood sprang into action. The outlet claims people smashed the windows in with a sledgehammer while others hosed down the flaming aircraft and dialed 911. An article by AP News says that other residents broke into the plane using an ax.
Per the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the pilot told police he previously stopped in Puerto Rico for fuel. He claimed he lowered his landing gear as he approached North Perry Airport and hit the throttle, but there was no thrust. All of the aircraft’s occupants reportedly live in the same house. 16-year-old Carol Balza and 13-year-old Nicole Balza were freed from the second row of seats. Residents allegedly said that 54-year-old Fancly Maurette was the hardest person to free as the seat pinned her legs.
The family ultimately escaped their ordeal with minor injuries. Emergency services transported them to a local hospital, where they arrived in a stable condition.
The Pembroke Pines Mayor Wants An Investigation After The Plane Crash
The Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo said the residents’ actions were “nothing short of heroic. However, according to AP News, he pointed out that more than 30 planes have crashed around the North Perry Airport within the last five years.
“We need better assurances that these planes are not going to keep falling out of the sky,” the mayor said. He noted that approximately half a million people live within a 5-mile radius of the airport. Castillo reportedly wants an independent investigation into local air safety, claiming, “people are up in arms and I can’t blame them.” The Pembroke Pines Police Department posted about the incident on social media, but several people have replied with the comment, “#closenorthperryairport.”