'Fireball' as small plane crashes near major US highway

A small plane carrying three people crashed on Friday morning in South Florida near a major interstate highway and pushed a car onto railroad tracks, officials said.

Boca Raton police said several roads near the Boca Raton Airport were closed near Interstate 95 after the plane went down shortly after 10am (midnight AEST) local media reported the plane was on fire and firefighters were responding.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Cessna 310 with three people on board, though it wasn't immediately known if anyone had died.

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It went down about 10.20am (00.20 AEST) after departing from Boca Raton Airport bound for Tallahassee, the FAA said in an email.

Fire officials told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the aircraft appeared to have pushed a car onto the railroad tracks, leading to their closure. The fate of the car's occupants also was unknown.

Josh Orsino, 31, said he was stopped at a red light at a nearby overpass when he heard a loud explosion and saw a huge fireball come toward him.

"We're just sitting there, and I see the palm trees start catching on fire," Orsino said.

"I thought it was an oil rig or a car crash type thing."

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Orsino said everyone was honking and trying to get off the overpass, not sure if it was going to collapse.

"So I didn't know if the fire was going to come towards the vehicles, I mean, my first instinct was like, I got to get off this bridge. I'm getting out of here," Orsino said.

Miguel Coka, 51, who works near the Boca Raton airport, said he is used to seeing planes flying low as they prepare to land. But this time, he and his colleagues noticed something was off.

"There was a rumble and everyone in the building felt it," he said when the plane crashed.

"We are all shocked."

He captured the smoke and flames from the crash from his office balcony on video.

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the investigation was just beginning.

"We are deeply saddened to confirm that a plane crash occurred earlier today within our community. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are working closely with emergency responders and authorities," Singer said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event. We ask for patience and respect for the families involved as investigations continue."

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the probe.

The small plane crash in South Florida comes a day after a New York City sightseeing helicopter broke apart in mid-air and crashed upside-down into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and a family of five Spanish tourists.

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