Pembroke Pines, FL - Federal officials have confirmed that a second person has died following a small plane crash at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines on Saturday.
According to National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Aaron McCarter, the fatal crash occurred during what's known as a "discovery flight," where a flight instructor takes a paying customer interested in learning to fly.
The flight had three people onboard when it took off around noon.
Investigations revealed that shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced a very high angle of attack, followed by a nose-down attitude and a left turn before crashing between the runways.
Emergency responders received the call reporting the incident, and efforts to rescue the victims were initiated immediately.
Unfortunately, the flight instructor and the front-seat passenger were fatally injured, while another person remains in critical condition at the hospital.
The plane involved in the crash is a Cessna 172, with tail number N697FL, registered to the Aeroflyin Corp. based in Pembroke Pines.
It was also marked with the logo of the ICARO Learn 2 Fly Flight School located at 1600 E. Airport Road.
Authorities are in the process of transporting the wreckage to Fort Pierce, where they'll conduct a thorough investigation that is expected to take at least a year.
The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are working diligently to determine the cause of the crash.
The identities of the victims have not been disclosed as officials continue to focus on gathering all necessary information to understand the circumstances surrounding Saturday's crash.