Florida Jet Crash Kills Nine on Board

Nine people were killed after a Learjet 60 business aircraft crashed onto a residential road in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, according to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The aircraft had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was heading to the Bahamas when it crashed near Cresthaven, around 14 km from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, at approximately 12:50 pm local time.

Air traffic control recordings reportedly captured the pilot declaring an emergency as the aircraft descended at an alarming speed. The crash triggered a massive fire and scattered debris across Military Trail, a six-lane road.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of casualties among people on the ground. Authorities evacuated around 600 residents from a nearby mobile-home community after the incident damaged local infrastructure, including water lines.

Thunderstorms and heavy rain were reported in the area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash. The road is expected to remain closed for at least 30 days.