Naples plane crash: What we know from victim IDs to I-75 closures and NTSB investigation

Mark H. Bickel, Naples Daily News
Updated ·4 min read
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Less than 24 hours after a jet crashed on Interstate 75, only minutes from reaching the runway at the Naples Airport, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board were on the ground Saturday morning examining the wreckage and hoping to determine why and how this happened.

Here is what to know:

Who died in the Naples plane crash?

The Collier County Sheriff's Office on Saturday afternoon identified the two people aboard the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet that crash on I-75 on Friday. They were the pilot and co-pilot, both from Broward County, Florida:

  • Pilot Edward Daniel Murphy, 50, of Oakland Park

  • Second-in-command Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, of Pompano Beach

Three others aboard the plane were taken to an area hospital to be treated for their injuries, the Sheriff's Office said. The others aboard were a crew member from Jupiter and two passengers from Columbus, Ohio.

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What is the status of lane closures on I-75?

The Florida Highway Patrol released a statement:

  • The northbound lanes of Interstate 75 remain open. As a reminder, per Florida Statute 316.1945, stopping on a limited access road (Interstate 75) is not permitted, unless a vehicle is disabled or necessary to render aid.

  • The southbound Interstate 75 lanes remain closed, as the on-scene investigation continues.. For southbound travel, please avoid the area and seek an alternate route. I-75 southbound lanes are closed between mile marker 105 and mile marker 111. FHP is advising that if you are traveling southbound to exit at mile marker (116), the Bonita Beach Road exist, and take the Imperial Parkway southbound.

Heading toward Marco Island or Miami? Alternative to I-75 in Naples

What type of vehicles were impacted by the plane crash on I-75 near Naples?

According to the Florida Highway Patrol:

  • 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Pickup Truck – Driver (Male, 48 years old of Naples) sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

  • 2023 Nissan Armada SUV – Driver (Female / age 66 of Massachusetts) and two passengers (Female / 85 years old of Massachusetts) / (Female, age 31 of Massachusetts) – No injuries.

No one in the vehicles hit by the plane was killed, FHP said.

What is the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) saying about the crash?

  • The NTSB said preliminary information is that the pilot radioed that the airplane had a dual engine failure on approach into the Naples airport. The flight originated at Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

  • An NTSB investigator arrived at the accident site Friday afternoon.

  • Several more NTSB investigators will arrive on Saturday to document the scene and examine the aircraft, an NTSB spokesman aid. Workers will then move the aircraft to a secure facility for additional evaluation.

  • A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.

What we know about the Naples plane crash:

  • The Federal Aviation Administration said the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet crashed on southbound Interstate 75, near mile marker 107, Pine Ridge Road, at about 3:10 p.m. At least one vehicle was destroyed.

  • The plane crashed roughly 4.7 miles from the airport.

  • The plane was coming from Columbus, Ohio, to the Naples Airport and scheduled for departure to Fort Lauderdale, said Robin King, the director of communication with The Naples Airport Authority.

  • It left Ohio at 12:30 p.m.

  • King said the airport lost communication with the plane just before the crash.

  • Friday night, the Hop-a-Jet charter company released a statement saying it had "received confirmed reports of an accident involving one of our leased aircraft near Naples" and that it would dispatch a team to the crash site.

What will be the focus of the NTSB investigation?

  • the pilot

  • the aircraft

  • the operating environment

What other types of information and records will be examined by the NTSB?

  • Flight track data

  • Recordings of any air traffic control communications

  • Aircraft maintenance records

  • Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident

  • Pilot’s license, ratings and recent flight experience

  • 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight

  • Witness statements

  • Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation

  • Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras

Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Naples Florida plane crash on I75: What we know, victim names, NTSB