Plane carrying hurricane relief supplies fatally crashes in Florida
Two people were killed when a small aircraft carrying humanitarian relief supplies to Jamaica crashed in Coral Springs, Florida, authorities and a religious ministry said.
The plane crashed in Coral Springs at about 10:19 a.m. local time on Monday, Nov. 10, killing two people, authorities in Coral Springs said in a news release. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Alexander Wurm, 53, founder and CEO of Ignite the Fire, an evangelical organization, along with his daughter, Serena, 22, were identified as the victims of the fatal crash, according to a statement posted on Facebook by Ignite the Fire. The deaths were also announced in a statement by Crisis Relief International.
The Beechcraft King Air twin turbo aircraft went down in a water feature/retention pond in the Coral Springs neighborhood of Windsor Bay, but did not strike any houses, the city stated. According to FAA records, the Beechcraft was manufactured in 1976 and licensed to International Air Services Inc., an aircraft registration company that provides a way for non-U.S. citizens to legally register their aircraft.
The city advised residents to be aware of widespread police activity, keep their doors closed to avoid fumes, and report any debris they discover.
The flight, loaded with relief supplies, had taken off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at 10:15 a.m., according to the flight tracking website, FlightAware. The website reported the flight was scheduled to arrive at Sangster International Airport at 12:35 p.m.
Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s transport minister, told news outlets that the country’s Civil Defense Authority had received an application for a permit for the plane to land in Montego Bay. The authority responded with the requirements for the application, according to audio published by the Jamaica Gleaner.
Vaz said the defense authority reported it had not received a reply to its response and that no permit had been issued for the craft’s arrival. He confirmed that the applicant had previously flown into Jamaica twice since Hurricane Melissa.
‘Their final journey embodied selflessness and courage’
Recovery efforts remain in high gear in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. Officials with the country and the U.S. Department of State appeared together at a news conference on Nov. 10, announcing an additional $10 million in relief for the island, taking the total to $22 million.
At least 32 deaths were confirmed in Jamaica, and island authorities have estimated that the roofs were taken off 120,000 buildings, and that more than two dozen communities have been isolated.
Wurm, a self-described pilot, posted on Instagram on Nov. 2 that he had found “an older King Air, with brand new engines” to fly missions and “perfect for the mission to bring relief goods into Montego Bay and the plane is ready just in time!”
Ignite the Fire posted on its Instagram earlier in November that Wurm and two others had flown into Jamaica at least twice since Melissa made landfall in Jamaica to deliver relief supplies in collaboration with Crisis Response International. On Nov. 2, Wurm, who lived in the Cayman Islands with his family, had posted on his own social media that Ignite was excited to fly generators, screws, tarps, battery packs, and StarLink communications systems to Jamaica.
“Together, their final journey embodied selflessness and courage, reminding us of the power of service and love,” Ignite the Fire said in a Facebook post about Wurm and his daughter. “May we continue their legacy of generosity, compassion, and faith.”
Wurm leaves behind his wife, Candace, and two other children, James and Christiana, according to the Nov. 10 post by Ignite the Fire.
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, weather, the environment and other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
