A Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a residential area of Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, officials said. According to DW, the Palm Beach County plane crash is under investigation by federal agencies.
The US transport secretary, Sean Duffy, called the crash a "horrific tragedy" and said all nine people on the aircraft were killed, according to BBC World.
According to the FAA, the jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The sources do not describe the flight’s route beyond those two airports.
Air traffic control audio captured a cockpit voice reporting turbulence, icing and precipitation, followed by a mayday call, DW reported. The audio also captured descent rates of 10,000 and then 20,000 feet per minute, according to DW.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 600 people were evacuated from the area and relocated to two shelters, according to DW. No second official source has confirmed that figure.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no reports of anyone on the ground being injured or killed, according to BBC World.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a probe, and the FAA said it would investigate alongside the NTSB, DW reported. The cause of the crash is unknown.
The crash happened near Mar-a-Lago, the resort of President Donald Trump, according to BBC World and Euronews. Trump had left the nearby airport on Air Force One about an hour before the crash, the two outlets reported.
The sources disagree on the distance. BBC World says the crash happened some nine miles (14 km) from Mar-a-Lago, while Euronews says the Cresthaven neighbourhood is less than 11 kilometres from the resort.
The crash damaged local infrastructure, including water lines, and BBC World reported the road would be closed for at least 30 days.
Unverified social media footage appears to show the jet nosediving and exploding, according to Euronews and BBC World, which both describe the clips as unverified. No source has authenticated the footage.
The identities of those on board have not been released, and officials have yet to name the victims. No statement from the jet’s operator or owner appears in the sources.
The NTSB and FAA investigation into the cause will continue, and the road is expected to stay closed for at least 30 days. Most key facts in this report rely on DW, and the sources do not independently confirm the final descent speed, which DW reported as 30,000 feet per minute in one account.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.