2 dead after small plane crashes in Palm Beach County

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida. – Two people died Wednesday when the small plane they were in crashed in Palm Beach County, authorities confirmed.

According to WPBF, the Piper PA28 veered off the runway at North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport around 3 p.m. and crashed into a body of water.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that officers arrived at the scene shortly afterward.

Divers from the sheriff’s office and the Palm Beach County and Palm Beach Gardens fire departments searched the waters for the plane’s occupants.

According to WPBF, two men were pulled from the water and taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

“Based on our preliminary information, the aircraft departed the runway at North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport and crashed under unknown circumstances into a marshy area at the end of the runway,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement.

WPBF reported that the plane was completely submerged and would be recovered from the water on Thursday and examined by the NTSB.

The cause of the crash remains unclear.