The Learjet crashed onto Military Trail near Cresthaven, Florida, killing all nine people aboard.
US investigators examine a Learjet crash near Palm Beach after authorities evacuated about 600 nearby residents.
A Florida jet crash killed all nine people aboard on Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed. The aircraft struck a busy road in a residential area, but no one on the ground suffered injuries.
The Learjet 60 left Austin, Texas, bound for the Bahamas before crashing near Cresthaven at about 12:50 pm EST. The site lies roughly nine miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
The jet hit Military Trail, a six-lane road lined with businesses and restaurants. Its impact left a large crater, with burning wreckage and debris scattered around it.
Florida jet crash followed emergency call
Air traffic control recordings captured a pilot declaring an emergency and reporting an “overspeed condition”. Moments before impact, the pilot reportedly said the aircraft was “out of time”.
Meanwhile, Federal Aviation Administration records indicated that the aircraft descended rapidly. Its reported rate of descent reached 20,000 feet per minute before the crash.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash footage as harrowing. He also compared the aircraft’s steep descent to an incoming missile.
Heavy thunderstorms swept across the region around the time of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation, while the FAA has deployed a team to assist.
Evacuations and lengthy road closure
Local emergency management officials and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office declared a mass-casualty incident after the impact. Authorities also ordered about 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community to evacuate as emergency teams responded.
The crash damaged local infrastructure, including municipal water lines. As repairs and investigations continue, authorities said the affected stretch of Military Trail could remain closed for at least 30 days.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident a “horrific tragedy”. He also urged the public to keep the victims’ families in their thoughts and prayers.
Trump had visited Mar-a-Lago earlier that day. However, he left a nearby airfield aboard Air Force One about an hour before the crash.
By Sunday evening, authorities were still working to notify the victims’ next of kin.
