Goodyear blimp crashes in Coral Springs; traffic, power affected on Sample Road
By Evan S. Benn, Hannah Sampson and Wanda J. DeMarzo
ebenn@herald.com
A Goodyear blimp crashed just before 7 p.m. off Sample Road in Coral Springs.
Witnesses said the Goodyear Blimp seemed to be struggling in thunderstorms before crashing on top of Coral Springs Mini Storage, just north of Sample Road between the Sawgrass Expressway and Coral Ridge Drive.
The two pilots walked away from the crash without major injuries, Coral Springs Fire-Rescue spokesman Mike Moser said.
Rescue crews had to make sure it was safe for the pilots to exit the airship because of downed power lines at the crash site.
It was unclear whether the pilots brought the airship down intentionally or if it crashed, Moser said.
''We're experiencing some very severe rainstorms,'' Moser said. ``Visibility was almost nothing.''
Witnesses called 911 about 6:45 p.m. to report the blimp was flying ''a little too close to the ground,'' Moser said.
''It went right over our building and was making really loud noises,'' said Maryann Clark, general manager of the Red Lobster restaurant at 2000 N. University Drive in Coral Springs.
Restaurant workers and customers looked out the windows to see the giant blimp coming down, tail-first, at a steep angle, Clark said.
''It looked like it was trying to land in our parking lot, but there are too many trees,'' Clark said.
''At first, we thought it was just thunder, but then we saw the blimp. It was really scary,'' she said.
Added Moser: ``I haven't seen anything like this, ever.''
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the blimp knocked out some power lines on its way down.
The crash happened a few minutes after the blimp took off from the Pompano Beach Air Park, about 12 miles east of the crash site, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. She did not know where it was heading.
The Goodyear company has three helium-filled blimps in the United States, based in California, Ohio and Florida.
The Florida blimp, the Stars & Stripes, flies out of the air park in Pompano Beach.
As of 8:10 p.m., police had shut down a portion of westbound Sample Road in the area.
