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Seaplane that crashed in Biscayne Bay departed from Palm Beach International Airport

7 people on board at time; no injuries reported
Posted at 3:32 PM, Feb 23, 2024
and last updated 2024-02-23 17:25:20-05

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A seaplane that crashed into the water Friday afternoon in downtown Miami took off from Palm Beach International Airport.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said seven people were on the seaplane when it crashed in Biscayne Bay between PortMiami and the MacArthur Causeway.

Everyone got out of the plane safely. No injuries were reported.

Aerial video showed the single-engine plane on its side with its propeller still moving. It was later towed to nearby Watson Island.

Miami-Dade police boat tows seaplane in Biscayne Bay, Feb. 23, 2024
A Miami-Dade police boat tows away a seaplane that crashed in Biscayne Bay, Feb. 23, 2024, in downtown Miami.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

According to FlightAware, the plane departed from Palm Beach International Airport at 1:04 p.m. before it lost altitude and dropped out of radar sight.

A search of the tail number shows that the plane is registered to Willis Lease Finance Corp. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Willis Lease Finance Corp. has a California address, but its website lists its corporate headquarters in Coconut Creek.