Pilot Reported Lost In Accident

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 04.17.09 1730 EDT: The Miami Herald reports the pilot of a Cessna 421B that crashed near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) Friday morning was killed when the plane impacted an Oakland Park home.

An unidentified woman reportedly called WFOR-4 to say her husband had perished in the crash, which occurred shortly after the plane took off from FXE at 11:15 am EDT. Citing reports from neighbors, the Herald identified the victim as Cecil Murray.

Officials say the pilot was bound for Jacksonville. Witnesses reported seeing flames from one of the twin-engine aircraft's wing nacelles before the crash.

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 04.17.09 1200 EDT (UPDATED 1305 EDT): A Cessna 421 crashed into a building near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) late Friday morning. 

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports the twin-engine aircraft impacted a home near Andrews Avenue, in the 5300 block of Northwest 1st Avenue, at 11:15 EDT. The accident site is approximately 1.5 miles east of the airport.

"Shortly after it got in the air, it did report trouble to the tower," FXE spokesman Chaz Adams told TransWorld News. "The tower cleared it to come back and land. In trying to make it back, that’s when it went down."

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told The Associated Press one person was onboard the C421. That person's fate remains unknown, though Donald Widing, chief of fire rescue for Oakland Park, told CNN "the crash was not survivable."

It does not appear anyone was inside the building impacted by the aircraft.

"We saw the plane turn sideways, and then it just nosedived," said witness Eddie Mujica, who works at a business north of the accident site. "It's not something you see every day."

The AP reports the accident aircraft is registered to Sebring Air Charter. Online flight tracking website FlightAware.com lists a 1974 C-421B, N1935G (similar to file photo below), departing from FXE at approximately 11:15 EDT, on an IFR flight plan to Fernandina Beach Municipal (55J).

ANN will continue to update this story as more details become available.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.flightaware.com