A small twin-engine Piper PA30 plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near a crowded beach in Boca Raton, Florida (southeastern United States). The incident occurred on Saturday morning local time, US media reported, with the information still up to date as of 7:18 a.m. Bulgarian time on August 23, 2026. There was only one person on board the aircraft – a female pilot who was unharmed and rescued thanks to the quick response of beach lifeguards.
Chronology of the Boca Raton incident
The plane took off from Page Field in Fort Myers and was flying to South Bimini in the Bahamas. During the flight, the pilot reported a technical malfunction and landing gear failure about 15 miles from shore. Since the plane had too much fuel, an attempt to make an emergency landing on a hard runway posed a huge risk of fire. Therefore, the woman decided to land the plane in the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding coastal buildings and people on the beach.
According to an official statement by the spokesperson of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Cassandra Nolan, quoted by radio station WPBF (wpbf.com/article/florida-small-plane-crashes-into-atlantic-ocean-off-boca-raton/73501160), the plane fell about 2 miles east of the Boca Raton airport in the South Beach Park area.
Rescue operation on the beach
Witnesses say that the plane descended smoothly and made a perfect landing, standing in a horizontal position in the water. Beach rescuers from the structure “Boca Raton Ocean Rescue“ responded immediately and pulled the woman from the sinking hull in less than a minute. She was later transported to a local hospital for a precautionary check-up, with no serious physical injuries.
Boca Raton police (cbsnews.com/miami/news/small-plane-hits-water-boca-raton-8-22-2026/) urged residents to avoid the area while U.S. Coast Guard crews secured the scene before the plane's wreckage was pulled from the water for technical examination. The FAA is investigating the exact cause of the crash.