A private Learjet 60 aircraft crashed on Sunday into a residential area in southern Florida, killing all nine people on board. US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the number of fatalities, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that there were nine people in the plane. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released.
The aircraft took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, with North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas as its destination. A spokesperson for the Austin airport confirmed that it was a private aircraft. According to available data, over Florida the plane suddenly veered to the right and began an uncontrolled descent from an altitude of approximately 2,400 metres straight towards the ground. Just before impact, it struck a tree and knocked down power lines.
Following the impact with the ground, a powerful explosion and a large fire ensued. The aircraft caught fire near a busy road, and the force of the impact created a large crater in the asphalt. Witness footage shows the plane plummeting from the sky at high speed, hitting the ground and exploding in a massive fireball. Flames engulfed the area around the crater, and thick black smoke rose over the scene of the accident. During the fall, the aircraft exploded and completely destroyed at least one mobile home, leaving behind a crater and a burning wreck.
According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft crashed just a few metres from family homes and very close to vehicles passing on the road. Witnesses stated that a sound similar to a projectile was heard upon impact. One woman working nearby stated that after the plane crashed, power was cut out in that part of the city and that electricity supply was not restored for about two hours. The accident occurred just 14 kilometres from Mar-a-Lago, the residence of US President Donald Trump in Palm Beach County.
The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Service declared the accident a multiple-casualty incident. Police closed all surrounding roads in the Greenacres neighbourhood and urged drivers to completely avoid the area while the investigation and fire suppression efforts continue. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation into the causes of the crash, with a first preliminary report expected to be published as early as tomorrow. The cause of the accident is not yet known, and the circumstances are still under investigation.
