BOCA RATON — Three members of a South Florida family were killed and a driver injured on the ground Friday morning when a six-seater Cessna 310 plane crashed onto a busy city street near the airport.

The Tallahassee-bound plane had departed Boca Raton Airport around 10:12 a.m. Friday and was carrying a pilot and two passengers. It made a series of bizarre loops before coming down on Military Trail near Glades Road. Witnesses said it was dangerously close to the ground before it crashed onto the street where, remarkably, it only affected one driver.

Boca Raton plane crash: Mechanical issues after takeoff, a baffling flight path and three dead

Upon impact, the aircraft immediately erupted into flames, sending up large plumes of smoke. This is what we know about the Boca Raton plane crash.

What kind of plane crashed in Boca Raton

The plane was a six-seater Cessna 310 plane, built in 1977, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said. It was in the air for about eight to 10 minutes before it hit the ground. Fire rescue crews were able to extinguish the fire, leaving the charred wreckage across the road and on the nearby train tracks.

The twin-engine plane was registered to Reprop LLC 310 Series, a corporation in Wilmington, Delaware, Federal Aviation Administration records show.

How many were killed in the Boca Raton plane crash? How many were on board? Who were the victims?

“Three souls were on board, and we can confirm they were all fatalities,” Boca Raton Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Michael LaSalle told reporters shortly after the crash. 

The people who died were identified Friday night by Boca Raton police as Robert Stark, 81, of Boca Raton; Stephen Stark, 54, of Delray Beach; and Brooke Stark, 17, of Delray Beach. They were relatives, but police did not specify their relationships.

BOCA PLANE CRASH: NTSB says plane was built in 1977 and was in air 8-10 minutes

The crash did not directly hit anyone, but it forced a northbound driver of a Toyota Prius to swerve and hit a tree. The driver, who suffered minor injuries, was able to exit the car and find safety despite being surrounded by fireballs and smoke.

Where exactly did the plane crash in Boca Raton?

The plane crashed onto Military Trail near Glades Road on Friday morning.

How did the Cessna 310 plane crash?

LaSalle said the aircraft had “some mechanical issues at takeoff.”

Kurt Gibson, an NTSB spokesman, offered no explanation for the crash but said “our mission is to figure out what happens, why it happens and what we can do to prevent it from happening again.”

He said the wreckage of the aircraft, which had a registration number of N8930N, will be examined on the ground before being transported to a salvage facility in Jacksonville for further analysis. Aside from the NTSB, the FAA is investigating the cause of the crash.

Where was the plane headed before it crashed in Boca Raton? What was the flight path?

The plane was bound for Tallahassee before the crash. While en route, the plane made a series of strange turns and loops. Shortly after takeoff, the plane ventured in an unconventional path, circling the airport and the vicinity of Boca Raton, playback data from FlightRadar24 indicates.

The multiple circular paths suggest the pilot was struggling to straighten the path of the aircraft, but officials were not sure what the cause was for the irregular direction.

Social media reactions: Boca Raton plane crash: Social media reactions, videos from Florida tragedy

The plane does not have a recording “black box” but Gibson said there are other parameters that will be able to help with the investigation. He added that multiple factors will go into the investigation, including pilot qualifications, 72-hour history for the pilot, maintenance records, wreckage details and environmental factors.

Gibson said the standard procedure for the investigation will be a preliminary report in 30 days followed by a 12-24 month report that will offer final analysis and probable cause for the crash.

He said although the plane was built nearly 50 years ago, there are “thousands of other planes that are older” and that all planes are fully inspected and certified before flying.

Anyone who has audio or video information is encouraged to contact authorities at [email protected].

Jessica Abramsky contributed to this report.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at 

[email protected] and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.