11 people survive plane crash off Florida coast

U.S. news11 people survive plane crash off Florida coastThe passengers were stranded at sea for five hours before being rescued by the U.S. Air Force, one of the survivors said.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleVideo shows rescue of passengers after plane crash in Atlantic01:51Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 14, 2026, 2:04 PM EDT / Updated May 14, 2026, 2:05 PM EDTBy Matt LavietesA plane carrying 11 people crashed off the coast of Melbourne, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.All of the plane’s passengers survived the crash, which occurred roughly 80 miles from the Florida coast on Tuesday, according to officials. The passengers, all Bahamian adults, were stranded at sea for roughly five hours, according to one of the survivors, Olympia Outten. They were rescued by the U.S. Air Force.“We thought no one would have saw us. But I thank God for the U.S. Marine. They saw us, and they save us,” Outten said at a news conference Thursday. “And I thought, I keep on telling them, I say, ‘Lord, save us. Lord, save us. Let someone see us.’”A U.S. Air Force plane saved all of the passengers in the crash that happened Tuesday, officials said in a news release.via U.S. Air Force Reserve CommandThe civilian aircraft, a Beechcraft BE30, was flying from Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, to Freeport, officials said.An emergency locator transmitter signal from the plane alerted the Coast Guard around 11 a.m. ET, officials said. An Air Force combat helicopter crew was already airborne, conducting a routine training mission, when the alert was received, and the crew was asked to redirect to assist the search-and-rescue effort, the Air Force said in a news release. “We are proud to have played a role in bringing 11 people home safely,” Air Force Col. Chadd Bloomstine said in a statement. The passengers were taken to Melbourne O...