Pembroke Pines, FL - A second banner plane crashed in Broward County on Thursday, marking the second banner plane crash in the area in the last two weeks.
Authorities say a banner plane crashed at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines on Thursday, marking the second crash involving the same company and aircraft type in less than two weeks in Broward County.
Fortunately, the pilot survived the crash, although he sustained significant injuries after firefighters successfully extracted him from the wreckage and promptly transported him to an ambulance.
While the pilot remained alert during transportation, his condition was described as stable yet serious.
According to records from the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane involved in the incident, a Piper PA-25-260, is registered to Aerial Banners Inc.
Eyewitnesses recounted that just before the crash, the plane descended to pick up a banner, but as it ascended, it seemed to stall and plummeted to the ground.
Tragically, a banner plane pilot from the same company lost their life in a crash on May 17th in Hollywood.
That ill-fated plane was also a single-engine Piper PA-25-235 that had taken off from North Perry Airport.
Following Thursday's crash, Bob Benyo, the President of Aerial Banners, expressed his horror and concern about the incidents.
He disclosed that the pilot involved in the crash, whose identity remains undisclosed, is an experienced professional with over 1,000 hours of banner tow time.
When questioned about the consecutive crashes occurring in such proximity, Benyo acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, assuring that the company is conducting its own investigation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Benyo remained hopeful about the pilot's recovery, expressing confidence that he would make a full comeback.