Boca Raton plane crash: NTSB report reveals pilot was only able to make left turns
BOCA RATON — The six-seater Cessna 310 plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Boca Raton Airport in April was on its first flight after an annual inspection, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The plane was airborne for about 10 minutes the morning of April 11 before it crashed, killing all three of its occupants and injuring one person on the ground.
The victims were Robert Stark, 81, of Boca Raton; and Stephen Stark, 54, and Brooke Stark, 17, both of Delray Beach.
Airport surveillance footage captured a portion of the plane's taxi and departure, the NTSB report stated. It shows that the plane maintained the centerline of the runway during takeoff, but, shortly after, veered to the left. Videos taken by witnesses continued showing the plane moving left at a low altitude.
"According to preliminary air traffic control recordings, one of the pilots reported that they were having a problem with the airplane's rudder and that they could only make left turns," the report stated.
The plane's initial impact point, according to the report, was identified as several trees in the median of the road. The aircraft then hit the road and continued about 370 feet from the initial crash point until it reached the railroad tracks near Military Trail and Glades Road.
The farthest piece of wreckage identified during the preliminary investigation was the left engine. It was found more than 300 feet past the main wreckage location at the railroad tracks.
Emergency officials stand near the scene of a small plane crash that killed three people on Military Tr. in Boca Raton Friday April 11, 2025.
"The wreckage was highly fragmented," the report stated. "The fuselage, including the cockpit, sustained significant thermal damage from the postimpact fire, and most of the fuselage and cockpit had been consumed."
All major components of the plane were located at the accident site, including the rudder, which investigators said showed "impact and thermal damage."
Flightradar24.com, an airline tracking website, shows the path of the Cessna 310R that made multiple loops over Boca Raton before crashing on Military Trail around 10:20 a.m.
The crash did not directly hit anyone on the ground, but it forced a northbound driver of a 2017 Toyota Prius, Pablo Tafur, 24, was forced to swerve and hit a tree, police said. Tafur, who suffered minor injuries, was able to exit the car and find safety.
One local pilot with four decades of aviation experience said it was remarkable the plane's pilot was able to keep the plane in the air for as long as he did.
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"I'm shocked they didn't crash immediately after takeoff," said Matthew "Whiz" Buckley, an F/A-18 fighter pilot and former commercial pilot for American Airlines.
The elder Starks were the grandfather and father of Brooke Stark, the teenager on board, said Buckley, a friend of the family. Both Robert and Stephen Stark were certified pilots, Federal Aviation Administration records show.
"They were battling that airplane to bring it down safely, to save this young girl," Buckley said. "These two guys are heroes, easily. They really fought that airplane."
Two girls, friends of Boca Raton plane crash victim Brooke Stark, sit next to a memorial of flowers and photographs to remember the victims of the Friday, April 11, 2025 plane crash. The memorial is at the crash site on Military Trail near the Glades Road overpass.
The plane's wreckage was retained for further examination.
The preliminary report contains only factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation, an NTSB spokesperson said. A typical NTSB investigation can take up to two years to complete. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report.
Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton plane crash: Aircraft had just been inspected
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