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A Learjet crash leaves a flaming crater on a Florida road
A Learjet 60 business jet carrying nine people from Texas to the Bahamas crashed into a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida. Fire crews declared a mass-casualty incident.
Hilal Times Editorial DeskUpdated:
A Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a mobile-home community near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida, at about 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, creating a huge fireball and scattering burning debris across the road.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was carrying nine people and had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Mass-casualty incident declared
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard the aircraft were killed. The victims’ identities have not yet been released, and it was unclear whether anyone on the ground was injured.
600 residents evacuated
About 600 residents of the nearby mobile-home community were evacuated, and authorities opened two temporary shelters with assistance from the Red Cross. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the crash as “catastrophic,” saying the aircraft “looked like a missile plunging” and left a large crater beside the road.
The pilots reported turbulence, icing and rain and requested an altitude of 2,000 feet, according to The Associated Press. The aircraft then entered a steep descent that exceeded its design limits, and one of the pilots declared an emergency.
The aircraft hit a tree and brought down power lines before crashing into a mobile home on Military Trail, leaving a flaming crater in the road.
Footage recorded minutes after the crash shows flames and thick black smoke rising from debris scattered across a grassy area as residents watch from the roadside.
Near-vertical descent
Slow-motion footage shows the aircraft plunging at an almost vertical angle in the seconds before impact. Local outlet Boca News Now said the aircraft made a sharp right turn before losing about 2,400 meters in altitude.
The sky was overcast at the time of the crash, with rain and lightning in the surrounding area, according to the National Weather Service.
NTSB to lead investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, with the NTSB set to lead the inquiry. The county sheriff’s office closed Military Trail in both directions. The crash site is about 13 kilometers from Mar-a-Lago, the resort owned by U.S. President Donald Trump.
A witness also filmed the crater left by the aircraft in the asphalt, surrounded by twisted metal and burning debris.
The Learjet 60 is a midsize business jet that typically accommodates six or seven passengers in addition to a two-person crew.
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