Miami Air Traffic Controller Identified As Person Killed In Plane Crash
Marciso Torres has been identified as the person killed during a plane crash-landing on Miami’s Haulover Inlet Bridge on Saturday afternoon (May 14).
According to the Miami Herald, the 36-year-old was a longtime airport traffic controller in South Florida. The crash sent five other people to the hospital.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Torres was aboard a single-engine Cessna 172 when it crashed on the bridge. The Miami-Dade Police Department identified Torres on Monday as the plane’s pilot and the only person killed in the crash.
“This is a terrible tragedy that has sent shock waves throughout our NATCA family,” association President Rich Santa said in a statement, according to the Herald. “Our hearts go out to Narciso’s wife, Jennifer, his entire family, and the many fellow union brothers and sisters that loved him so much and are now dealing with an unspeakable loss.”
Authorities have yet to confirm the identity of the two other people who were inside the plane.
The FAA says that at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, the plane lost power and landed on the Haulover bridge. After landing, it collided head-on with an SUV crossing the bridge, which contained a female driver and two children. The plane subsequently flipped and caught fire.
The two Cessna passengers who survived were outside of the plane when Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived on the scene. Torres was found dead in the aircraft after the flames were extinguished.
Doug Church, deputy director of public affairs for the union, said Torres was known as a leader and that Torres’ family had been notified of his death. “He was beloved,” Church told the Herald. “It’s a terrible loss.”
Torres lived in Weston and had many certifications, including for aircraft dispatcher, mechanic, air control tower operator and private pilot, according to his FAA profile.
