Nine killed as small jet crashes on Florida street
A Learjet 60 business jet crashed onto a six-lane Florida road, killing all nine on board with zero ground casualties reported.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A private Learjet 60 crashed into a residential area in Florida, killing all nine people aboard.
- The crash site was located approximately nine miles from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
- Authorities evacuated 600 residents and closed the damaged road for at least 30 days.
A tragic private jet crash in a residential neighborhood of Florida has claimed the lives of all nine people on board. The incident occurred on Sunday near Cresthaven, roughly nine miles or 14 kilometers away from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach County, at around 12:50 EST (17:50 GMT).
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft was a Learjet 60 that had departed from Austin, Texas, bound for the Bahamas. Flight tracking data indicates that the jet was plunging hundreds of feet per second before impacting the ground.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Images from the scene show a massive crater in the center of a multi-lane road surrounded by scattered debris and flames from the aircraft, though miraculously no injuries or fatalities were reported on the ground. Unverified dashcam footage posted on social media captured the terrifying moments as the plane nose-dived almost vertically into a suburban street, erupting into a huge fireball.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the crash as a horrific tragedy and announced that the FAA was dispatching a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) with the investigation. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue formally declared the accident a mass casualty incident.
"Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost."
Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported that the crash took place on Military Trail, a busy six-lane thoroughfare lined with commercial businesses and restaurants. During a news conference, local officials confirmed that approximately 600 residents were ordered to evacuate from a nearby trailer-park community due to the hazards.
Plane crashes in heavily populated suburban areas raise critical questions regarding aviation safety protocols and urban zoning near flight paths. Investigators from the NTSB will heavily rely on flight data recorders, radar telemetry, and local weather logs—including reported thunderstorms at the time—to piece together the exact sequence of the rapid descent.
The impact also caused significant structural damage to local infrastructure, including municipal water lines, with officials stating it will take a minimum of 30 days before the roadway can reopen. Thunderstorms and heavy rain persisted in the area during the crash and subsequent news briefings. Former President Donald Trump had been staying at Mar-a-Lago earlier that morning and departed from a nearby airport aboard Air Force One roughly an hour prior to the accident.
Source: BBC World
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