Dramatic footage captured by a Florida airport employee shows a doomed plane’s final moments circling the sky before crashing in a fiery blaze, killing three.
The ill-fated flight took off around 10 am from Boca Raton Airport on Friday before getting into trouble as onlookers watched the Cessna 310 aimlessly circle the skies before veering off course, striking a passing car and erupting into a massive fireball.
Brooke Stark, 17, along with her aviator father Stephen Stark, 54, and fellow flight enthusiast grandfather Robert Stark, 81 – all residents of Palm Beach County – died in the crash.
In a harrowing clip, the employee, identified only as Kevin, can be heard reacting in real time as the aircraft falters overhead.
‘They just declared an emergency,’ he says with growing alarm. ‘His rudder is stuck -oh my god, he’s got a big f****** problem.’
Alongside clips of the plane after take off, he shared a theory about what went wrong.
The airport employee – who is also a seasoned flight engineer – believes a malfunctioning rudder may have caused the crash.
‘I was working today on Gulfstream and I saw Cessna 310 owned by an older gentleman that hangars the plane here at Boca airport. When he took off he was so low I could tell his rudder was fully deflected left,’ the engineer wrote.
Dramatic footage captured by an employee at the Boca Raton Airport shows the plane’s final, terrifying moments. As it attempted to land, the aircraft veered off course, struck a passing car and erupted into a massive fireball
He explained that the rudder is a critical flight control component that governs an aircraft’s yaw, or rotation around its vertical axis. If it becomes stuck in one direction, it can cause the aircraft to turn uncontrollably
The smoldering wreckage of a Cessna plane is seen after a crash in Boca Raton, Florida, on Friday that killed all three people on board
He explained that the rudder is a critical flight control component that governs an aircraft’s yaw, or rotation around its vertical axis. If it becomes stuck in one direction, it can cause the aircraft to turn uncontrollably.
‘The Rudder is one of the flight controls, it gives control of the yaw on an airplane. If this gets stuck to any direction it will turn the airplane into that direction,’ he wrote.
‘That explains the constant left turns and if that happens it’s almost impossible to control the airplane,’ the aviation expert added.
Another user on X questioned why such a fault wouldn’t have been identified before takeoff.
‘Wouldn’t/shouldn’t that be checked and corrected prior to takeoff?’ the user asked.
In response, he stressed the importance of pre-flight inspections – standard procedures that involve a thorough check of the aircraft’s systems, structure and documentation.
Brooke Stark, 17, was one of the deceased in the Boca Raton plane crash Friday morning
Stephen Stark, 54, was another one of the victim’s and the father of Brooke, who also died in the crash
Emergency personnel respond to the area where a small plane crashed on the railroad tracks beneath the overpass near Interstate 95 in Boca Raton on Friday, April 11
However, he added that the thorough checks are not mandatory for General Aviation aircrafts – non-commercial, non-military civilian flight operations.
‘This the reason we have pre-flights to prevents these situations. But when they’re General Aviation aircraft its not mandatory. Even the maintenance is not because its not used for hire, only the annual inspection,’ he wrote.
The fatal crash occurred just after 10 am Friday and involved a Cessna 310R, a low-wing aircraft that typically seats four to six passengers.
It was only moments after takeoff that the aircraft began experiencing mechanical trouble, prompting the pilot toan emergency.
Around 10:17 am, the plane veered off course and failed to reach the runway.
It crashed on North Military Trail near the Glades Road overpass, slamming into a 2017 Toyota Prius before bursting into a massive fireball.
A burned out Toyota Prius that was struck by a crashing plane in Boca Raton, Florida, on Friday
Another user on X questioned why such a fault wouldn’t have been identified before takeoff
The car’s driver, 24-year-old Pablo Tafur, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after losing control and crashing into a tree due to the collision impact.
Aerial footage showed wreckage engulfed in flames and thick smoke rising from the site as first responders rushed to extinguish the fire.
Two bodies were seen inside the smoldering debris before officials confirmed all three occupants aboard the aircraft had died.
The Boca Raton Police Department have since confirmed that both Robert and Stephen Stark were licensed pilots.
Robert held a private pilot certificate since 2018 with single-engine sea and land ratings, as well as multi-engine and instrument certifications.
Stephen received his private pilot license in 2011 and had multi-engine and single-engine qualifications.
However, it remains unknown who was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.
Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the accident.
A preliminary report is expected in the coming weeks.
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer released a statement expressing condolences: ‘We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community.
‘At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event.’
Witnesses in the area described the crash as loud and violent, with one person writing on social media, ‘Shook the whole building. Unfortunately I’m certain lives were lost here today.’
