A Learjet 60 business jet carrying nine people crashed in a residential neighborhood in Florida's Palm Beach County on Sunday afternoon. The aircraft, which had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for the Bahamas, nosedived into an area near Cresthaven, exploding into a massive fireball upon impact.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people on board were killed in the crash. The jet struck the ground near a busy roadway, creating a large fiery crater in the pavement and narrowly missing nearby homes. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters that there appeared to be no casualties on the ground.
Before the crash, air traffic control recordings indicate the pilot reported severe turbulence, precipitation, and icing. The pilot declared an emergency and issued distress calls before the plane banked sharply to the right and entered a steep dive. Social media clips show the aircraft slamming into the ground at high speed in a nearly vertical position.