The three people who died after a Cessna 310R crashed and burned in Boca Raton on Friday morning as it tried to return to the airport have been identified as a teenage girl and two of her relatives, all from Palm Beach County.

The single-engine plane took off from the Boca airport just after 10 a.m. and was headed for Tallahassee but reported a mechanical issue and crashed while returning to the airport, officials said Friday. Kurt Gibson, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, told reporters the plane was in the air for no longer than 10 minutes.

Those who died were Robert Stark, 81, of Boca Raton; Stephen Stark, 54, of Delray Beach; and Brooke Stark, 17, of Delray Beach, Officer Jessica Desir, a spokesperson for Boca Raton Police, said late Friday night. Desir did not say how they were related or who was flying the plane.

Both Robert and Stephen Stark were certified pilots with the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency’s records show.

A 24-year-old man from Boca Raton driving a 2017 Toyota Prius was also injured when he lost control while driving north on Military Trail near the fiery crash and hit a tree. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Desir said.

Stephen Stark was issued a private pilot certificate in 2011 and had single-engine and multi-engine aircraft ratings, FAA records show. Robert Stark’s private pilot certificate was issued in 2018 and had single-engine land and sea ratings, as well as multi-engine land and instrument ratings. An instrument rating is earned by training to fly solely by referencing instruments.

At 10:13 a.m., Boca Raton Airport personnel notified police and fire rescue that the plane was “having trouble maintaining control” and was circling the area, Desir said.

The plane is registered to Reprop LLC 310 Series, a corporation in Wilmington, Delaware, Federal Aviation Administration records show. It was built in 1977.

North Military Trail between Northwest 19th Street and Butts Road was closed all of Friday and is expected to remain closed through the weekend.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

Three die when plane crashes, burns on railroad tracks near I-95 in Boca Raton

Originally Published: April 12, 2025 at 8:27 AM EDT