At least one dead as storm flips private jets at exclusive Florida airport

Gust of wind tossed the aircraft into the air, say officials

Police and fire services at Orlando Executive Airport after a plane flipped at around 5pm on Thursday, 1 September 2022 (Screengrab/Wesh)

One person died and another person was injured after a twin-airplane crashed at Central Florida executive airport on Thursday.

The Diamond DA42 Twin Star collided with another unoccupied aircraft as it prepared for takeoff on a runway during severe weather conditions at around 5pm, said Carolyn Fennell, director of public affairs at Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

It had two people onboard when it flipped while awaiting clearance, with officials saying that a gust of wind tossed the aircraft into the air.

The Orlando Fire Department responded to the accident but one person was pronounced dead at the scene, while another person has been taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center as trauma alert, a spokesperson for the fire department told USA Today.

The identities of those involved in the incident have not been made public yet.

"There was evidence that planes that were parked did get moved around by the wind," Orlando Executive Airport director and air traffic controller Judith-Ann Jarrette told NBC affiliate Wesh.

"We get regular weather reports. We all do. And we work closely with the air traffic control tower, so if things get very severe, they’ll hold. In fact, the aircraft that had taxied out for departure was waiting and unfortunately, that system moved in so fast, it was so severe with very heavy gusty winds that it actually flipped the airplane."

According to News 6 meteorologist Jonathan Kegges, wind gusts of 62mph were experienced at the airport as the storm passed through the area.

The authorities have not released the details about where the plane was headed.

The National Transportation Safety Board is probing the incident while the airport is now running as normal.