Nine people have been confirmed dead after a private jet crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, in an incident that occurred just a few miles from US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
The aircraft, identified as a Learjet 60, reportedly went down near the Cresthaven community after departing Austin, Texas, for the Bahamas. All nine people aboard were killed, according to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Videos circulating on social media captured the aircraft plunging towards the ground before exploding into a massive fireball. The impact reportedly left a burning crater close to a busy road.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a devastating crash, saying the aircraft appeared to be falling like a missile before hitting the ground. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties among residents or passersby.
The crash happened less than seven miles from Mar-a-Lago, where Trump had spent part of Sunday. The president had already left the area aboard Air Force One, departing from Palm Beach International Airport approximately an hour before the aircraft went down.
According to Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores, the jet crashed close to the entrance of a mobile home park, forcing authorities to evacuate about 600 residents. Those displaced were moved to temporary shelters as emergency teams responded to the scene.
Preliminary information from an air traffic control recording has also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the disaster. A voice believed to be from the cockpit reportedly informed air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing moderate turbulence and dealing with ice accumulation.
The pilot later declared an emergency as the jet began losing altitude rapidly. In the final moments of the recording, a cockpit voice reportedly warned that the aircraft was about to hit the ground before communication was lost.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to investigate the crash to establish what caused the aircraft to go down.
Stormy weather had reportedly been experienced in the area around the time of the incident, although investigators have yet to determine whether weather conditions or another technical problem contributed to the tragedy.
