Ian Hofmann: GoFundMe launched for pilot who died in Florida plane crash while trying to save passengers and crew

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: Claiming the lives of two pilots Ian Frederick Hofmann and Edward Daniel Murphy, a Bombardier Challenger 600 jetter crashed on Interstate 75 near Naples, Florida, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Following the incident that left the two pilots dead, witnesses are sharing pictures they captured of the tragic plane crash which took place on Friday, February 9, reports People.

What led to the tragic Florida plane crash?

On Tuesday, February 13, CBS affiliate WINK-TV posted footage of the crash shared by a Facebook user Alfonso Del Nodal.

The footage showed the plane's rapid descent before it collided near a highway wall and cars were pulled over to the side.

Bystanders watched the crash in horror and can be seen walking away from the scene in footage posted by NBC-affiliate WTVJ and shared by another witness, Kyle Cavaliere.

The clip showed the fiery aftermath of the incident with flames engulfing much of the crash site.

How many people survived the fiery Florida plane crash?

According to a Facebook post from the Collier County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, February 11, three people survived the crash.

However, the two pilots, 60-year-old Hofmann, of Pompano Beach and 50-year-old Murphy, of Oakland Park did not survive the crash.

Citing a recently released audio clip, WTVJ reported that one of the pilots informed the Air Traffic Control that the jet had "lost both engines."

"We're clear to land, but we're not gonna make the runway," the pilot said in the chilling exchange shortly before losing contact.

Ian Hofmann spent his last moments trying to save passengers and crew

In the description of a GoFundMe page launched by Hofman's family, one of his four children, Chris Hofmann said that his father spent his last moments on the plane "calmly speaking with ATC as he tried to save the passengers and crew in the face of a desperate emergency."

The son further described Hofmann as "the ultimate professional pilot with over 40 years and 25,000 hours of experience," and also as "a loving father and family man who was charismatic and beloved."

As of Tuesday noon, February 13, nearly $31,288 has been raised through the campaign to support Hofmann's family.

Speaking to Fox affiliate WFTX-TV, a family member of Murphy, the second pilot involved in the crash said that the pilot was "dedicated to his work" and "lived his life doing what made him happy every day."

"I would imagine that his primary concern the day of the accident was the lives of others on that plane," they said.

The deadly crash is currently being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.