- Mohamed Badenhki and Khadim Kebe have been identified as the two aboard the Cessna 172 that crashed over the Florida Everglades earlier this week
- Footage from the scene showed debris strewn across the swamp and a plume of smoke billowing from the plane
- The incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. It is still unclear who was piloting the aircraft
The two men killed after a single-engine plane crashed into the Florida Everglades’ alligator alley have been identified.
Mohamed Badenjki, 51, and Khadim Kebe, 37, were aboard the Cessna 172 Skyhawk when it crashed Tuesday evening.
The plane had taken off from North Perry Airport and disappeared from radar over the Everglades 13 minutes later, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
It wasn’t until 10:30 a.m. Wednesday that the Broward Sheriff’s Office said they were alerted about the missing plane.
Rescue crews found the wreckage a short time later, with the bodies of the two men on board.
Mohamed Badenjki, seen here, died in the crash on Tuesday evening and his body was recovered on Wednesday morning
Footage from the scene showed debris strewn across the swamp and a plume of smoke billowing from the plane as part of it burned.
NBC Miami reported that Badenjki had been flying for several years and was a well-known member of the aviation community.
In 2009, he received the Miami International Airport Hero of the Year award while serving as a customer service representative for American Airlines.
Badenjki had used life-saving CPR skills to help passengers three times in one week.
Both Badenjki and Kebe were certified pilots, according to Federal Aviation Administration records seen by the outlet.
Kebe’s commercial pilot certificate was issued in 2021, while Badenjki’s was issued in 2022.
Local 10 News spoke to Shahzada Faisal, a close friend of Badenjki, about his death.
Faisal told the outlet, “Really decent guy, just a really friendly guy. A really impeccable guy, one of those polished guys, it was something he displayed in his flying skills.”
Faisal also told the outlet that he thinks the plane may have suffered a mechanical problem.
Badenjki had used life-saving CPR skills to help passengers three times in one week
It wasn’t until 10:30 a.m. Wednesday that the Broward Sheriff’s Office said they were alerted about the missing plane
The incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, and it remains unclear who was operating the vessel
‘I think it has something to do with the engine. That would be the only reason why something like this would happen to a man like Mo.’
The incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and it remains unclear who was operating the vessel.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Chief Michael Kane said, “We immediately responded with units from our station from the Everglades and surrounding stations.
“We’re talking 16 hours, 18 hours on those two parties in the Everglades.”
Footage from the scene showed debris strewn across the swamp and a plume of smoke billowing from the plane as part of it burned.
The fire in the wreckage was caused by the plane’s fuel burning off.