Nine killed as small jet crashes on Florida street
A business jet crashed into a residential street in Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people on board. The accident happened near Cresthaven, about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago, the resort owned by former President Donald Trump. It occurred around 12:50 EST (17:50 GMT), according to the Federal Aviation Administration. But no one on the ground was hurt.
Fiery descent captured on video
The Learjet 60 had departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas. Flight data showed the aircraft was plunging at hundreds of feet per second before impact. Air traffic control audio recorded the crew saying they were managing ice and needed to climb. Yet moments later, the plane was descending at 10,000 feet per minute. The crew declared an emergency, reporting an overspeed condition and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. “We are going to crash into the ground,” one crew member said. About 35 seconds after the initial mayday, the final cockpit remark was: “We’re out of time.”
Unverified social media footage, apparently from a dash-cam, showed the jet nosediving almost vertically into the street and exploding in a large fireball. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called the video jarring. “It’s like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere,” he said. The crash left a large crater in the middle of a multi-lane road and scattered debris across the area. Thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time.
The crash occurred on Military Trail, a six-lane road with businesses and restaurants. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass casualty incident. About 600 local residents were being evacuated from a nearby trailer-park community because the impact damaged water lines. Officials said the road would not reopen for at least 30 days. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a “horrific tragedy” and asked for prayers for the families. The FAA is sending a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board investigation. It was not yet clear who was aboard the jet.
