Two walk away with barely a scratch after plane crash

The troublesome engine of a Piper PA-32 airplane would not slow down. Instead of a smooth landing, the plane sped toward earth at 120 mph. It took off again and as it turned, it crashed into a fence at Pompano Airpark.

The two men inside walked away from their destroyed aircraft Thursday, one with only a scratch.

“It was a miracle that these two did not sustain injuries,” Pompano Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Sandra King said. “One had flip-flops on and he only needed a Band-Aid after treatment by paramedics. They were both happy to be alive and felt grateful.”

The pilot shared the details of the harrowing flight, King said. The plane lost its wings, and its nose appeared to be cracked away from the fuselage, photographs showed.

“The six-passenger plane is a total loss,” King said.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue was called to the airport at 1001 NE 10th St. at around 10 a.m.

The 50-year-old male pilot and his passenger, a 61-year-old man who is also a pilot, are from Boca Raton. Their names were not immediately available, King said.

The registered owner is the Pompano Senior Squadron Flying Club Inc. in Boca Raton, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating.

It was the second time a small plane had trouble at the airport in less than 24 hours. On Wednesday, a single-engine plane skidded off a runway after the apparent collapse of a piece of its landing gear. No one was hurt in that crash either, King said.

The plane lost its wings, and its nose appeared to be cracked away from the fuselage.