A business jet crashed into a residential area in Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people on board. The crash caused a huge fire and left wreckage across a local road. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as officials began an investigation into the cause of the deadly accident.
The crash took place near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago, the resort owned by US President Donald Trump. The aircraft went down at around 12:50 p.m. local time.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Learjet 60. It had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was flying to the Bahamas. Officials had not yet confirmed what caused the jet to crash.
Images from the scene showed a large crater in the middle of a residential road. Flames burned around broken concrete and pieces of the aircraft. The impact also caused major damage to nearby roads and local services.
Early reports suggested that the jet was falling at a very high speed before it hit the ground. Audio from air traffic control offered a troubling account of the final moments of the flight.
The pilot reportedly told air traffic control that the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute. Moments later, the pilot declared an emergency and warned that the plane was moving too fast as it lost height.
The pilot then reportedly said the jet was descending at 20,000 feet per minute. The final messages included a warning that the aircraft was about to crash and that there was little time left.
These emergency calls may help investigators understand what happened before the impact. However, officials have not confirmed why the jet began to descend so quickly. The cause will need to be established through a full review of the flight and aircraft records.
A video shared on social media appeared to show the moment of the crash. The footage had not been independently verified. It seemed to show vehicles moving along a suburban road before the jet plunged toward the ground and exploded into a large fireball.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the footage as shocking. Speaking at a news conference, he said the aircraft looked like a missile as it fell. He also described a huge explosion that sent debris across the area.
Officials said they had no reports at that time of people on the ground being killed or injured. Emergency teams continued to assess the scene and check the damage around the crash site.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident a horrific tragedy. He said the Federal Aviation Administration was sending a team to support the investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The safety board will examine the circumstances of the crash. Investigators are likely to review flight data, air traffic control recordings and the condition of the aircraft. They may also study weather reports and other evidence that could explain the sudden descent.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass casualty incident. This alert helps emergency services bring in the people and equipment needed to respond to a major disaster. Firefighters and other rescue workers were sent to the scene.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the crash happened on Military Trail, a six-lane road with shops, businesses and places to eat. The impact damaged local infrastructure, including water lines.
Local officials said about 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were being evacuated as a safety step. Crews needed to assess the area and deal with the damage before residents could safely return.
The damage to the road was also expected to cause long delays. Officials said Military Trail could remain closed for at least 30 days while repairs were carried out. The closure may affect nearby homes, businesses and daily travel.
Weather conditions could also form part of the investigation. Thunderstorms had been reported in the area around the time of the crash. Heavy rain was falling during the news conference, but officials had not confirmed whether the weather played any role.
Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago earlier on Sunday. He left from a nearby airport aboard Air Force One about an hour before the crash. Officials had not reported any link between his travel and the accident.
The identities of the nine people who died had not been released in the information available after the crash. The investigation will now focus on the aircraft’s final movements and the events that led to the impact.
Officials face the task of finding out why the jet lost height so rapidly and why it came down in a residential area. Their findings may help explain the disaster and identify any safety issues that need attention.
