11 rescued after small plane crashes off South Florida
Coast Guard officials said all 11 people on board the plane were rescued. Thunderstorms were forecast for Florida on Tuesday when the crash occurred.
Thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force Reserve, all 11 people from a plane that went down about 80 miles offshore were rescued.
A small plane crashed off the coast of Florida on Tuesday afternoon, and all 11 people on board were rescued, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson said the Beechcraft BE30 crashed in the ocean 50 miles east of Vero Beach Regional Airport in Florida around 12:05 p.m. The flight departed from Marsh Harbour Airport and was headed to Grand Bahama International Airport when it went down.
A U.S. Coast Guard Southeast C-27 was launched Tuesday afternoon to search for the aircraft off the coast of Melbourne, Florida.
Coast Guard officials said all 11 people on board the plane were accounted for and were being brought to emergency medical staff for further evaluation.
Radar at the time of the plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean, on May 12, 2026.
Some thunderstorms were ongoing in South Florida Tuesday afternoon, with the potential for hail and damaging winds.
“There were clusters of thunderstorms developing off the east coast of Florida before noon," AccuWeather Vice President of Forecasting Operations Dan Depodwin said. "Any thunderstorm can create rapidly changing and potentially hazardous flying conditions.”
“Within those storms, pilots can encounter sudden shifts in wind, including strong updrafts and downdrafts, along with reduced visibility," Depodwin said. "These types of convective conditions can evolve within a matter of seconds.”
The cause of the crash is unknown. The FAA is investigating.
Editor's note: The U.S. Coast Guard originally reported 10 people rescued and later updated the number to 11.
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