All nine people aboard a private jet were killed when it crashed into a residential area in Florida on Sunday. The Learjet 60, flying from Texas to the Bahamas, nosedived into the ground near a busy road in Palm Beach County and erupted into a fireball.
What happened
The crash happened at about 12:50 pm local time near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, in an area between Greenacres and Palm Springs. Video from passing cars shows the jet plunging nose-first before a fireball erupts, leaving a large crater beside the road.
The pilots had reported icing, turbulence and precipitation while flying at 35,000 feet, and had asked to climb another 2,000 feet. Flight-tracking data shows the jet then fell 27,000 feet in one minute before tracking cut off. Officials have not said what caused the crash.
No one on the ground was killed
There were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured, though the fireball appeared to just miss nearby homes. About 600 residents from a nearby mobile-home community were evacuated, and the county arranged shelter and food for them.
Military Trail was closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site and compared the impact to a missile strike.
Investigation under way
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed all nine people on board were killed and called the crash a horrific tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board investigation, and investigators were expected at the site on Sunday and Monday. A news conference is expected on Monday.
The jet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Officials have not identified the nine people who died, or said how many were passengers and how many were crew.
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