Cleaning up and replacing the barrier wrecked by the I-75 Collier County plane crash

Debris and damage left behind more than two months after a plane crashed on Interstate 75 in Collier County continues to be an eyesore for residents and drivers.

For weeks, experts swarmed Southwest Florida investigating February’s fiery crash.

People who live near the crash site want to know why it’s taking so long to repair the area.

The Florida Department of Transportation says the broken barrier is a distraction for drivers, so they need to repair it for everyone’s safety.

However, two nearby neighbors say it will help them move on.

Every time a plane flies over Javad Kapadia’s home, he is reminded of what happened on Feb. 9, 2024.

“Just seeing the black smoke as soon as that happened and just walking over there and seeing the flames, feeling the heat of the plane and smelling and tasting the jet fuel. That’s something I’m probably never going to forget,” said Kapadia.

Three passengers survived the twin-engine plane crash on I-75. The plane also narrowly missed traffic.

Kapadia spoke with WINK News hours after the plane crashed, having been right over that sliced sound barrier while the flames roared at the scene.

He showed us what the site looks like now, a couple of months later, with all of the rubble, cars and plane pieces are still left behind.

The Florida Department of Transportation is working to repair the damaged sound barrier, but they say it’s likely going to take more than a few months.

“There’s roughly a 600-foot charred area, and within that area, at least one and a half panels, and maybe one beam needs to be replaced,” said Patricia Pichette, the communications specialist for FDOT District 1. “There’s also an area of about 1,200 feet where we need some concrete cosmetic repairs. The process is going to take several months because we need to get specialty contractor bids.”

FDOT says it’s distracting for drivers, so repairs are needed for everyone’s safety. The crash shook the community to its core, including Kapadia’s home, heart and mind.

“I’m seeing a missing wall. That’s exactly what happened. It crashed. Once it’s repaired, it’ll help heal a little bit,” said Kapadia.

WINK News did reach out to the National Transportation Safety Board, the agency investigating the crash, about the pieces of the plane still left near the crash site.

They said as soon as investigators finish the on-scene documentation, that’s when they’ll clean up the remaining debris left on site.