Nine Killed as Business Jet Plunges Into Florida Neighbourhood, Erupting Into Fireball
A business jet carrying nine people nosedived into a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday and exploded in a fireball, killing everyone on board.
The Learjet 60 crashed near a busy roadway at about 12:50 p.m. local time, narrowly missing homes. It had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading for the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Minutes before the crash, the pilot reported ice building up on the jet and turbulence that jolted it by as much as 700 feet, according to air traffic control recordings. The pilot then declared an emergency. Reports say the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly after the pilot encountered precipitation and asked to climb.
No one on the ground was reported injured or killed. Governor Ron DeSantis called the crash cataclysmic. Authorities have evacuated about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community while federal officials investigate. The cause has not been determined, and the victims have not been identified. The National Transportation Safety Board has sent investigators, and the road will remain closed until further notice.
