Authorities have identified the two men who were killed when a small plane crashed into the Florida Everglades near Broward County.
Mohamed Badenjki, 51, of North Miami Beach, and Khadim Kebe, 37, of Texas, were on board the single-engine Cessna when it went down north of Interstate 75 near mile marker 28, not far from Weston, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
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WATCH HEREBSO Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Kane said it's believed the plane left North Perry Airport around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and went off the radar around 6:45 p.m.
Kane said authorities didn't receive a call about the aircraft until around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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Crews found the plane's wreckage a short time later, along with the bodies of the two men on board.
Badenjki's son confirmed his identity to NBC6 earlier Thursday. The pilot had been flying for several years and was a well-known member of the aviation community.
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Back in 2009, Badenjki was awarded the MIA Hero of the Year when he was an American Airlines customer service agent after he used life-saving CPR skills to help passengers three times in one week.
Photos from family members showed Badenjki in a pilot's uniform, but it was unknown if he was behind the controls of the Cessna.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash.
