By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to local officials on Monday said that all 9 people aboard a private Learjet 60 were killed when the aircraft plunged into a residential area in Florida’s Palm Beach County on Sunday, after its pilots reported icing, turbulence, and precipitation shortly before the fatal descent.
Media reports stated that the Texas-to-Bahamas flight ended near a Florida residential community, prompting evacuation arrangements for hundreds as investigators examined its final moments.
The Bahamas-bound jet crashed near Crest haven at 12.50 pm local time, erupted in a fireball and leaving a large crater beside a busy road. Hundreds of nearby residents faced evacuation as emergency crews secured the wreckage.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths and described the accident as a “horrific tragedy”. Authorities have not established what caused the aircraft to lose altitude.
The pilots of the Learjet reported icing, turbulence, and precipitation before the aircraft went into a steep descent, according to air traffic control recordings cited by media
The crew also requested permission to climb. The recordings, however, do not establish what caused the jet to lose altitude.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft descending sharply before it crashed near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County.
Investigators have to determine whether weather conditions contributed to the crash or whether other factors were involved.
The jet came down near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, leaving a crater beside the road.
Flames and thick smoke rose from the crash site, while debris was scattered across the surrounding area.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who visited the site, compared the impact to a missile strike.
“It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road,” he told reporters.
DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured.
The accident also disrupted hundreds of residents living near the crash site.
Palm Beach County authorities arranged evacuation and emergency accommodation measures for approximately 600 people from a nearby mobile-home community.
Two shelters were placed on standby, with county transport vehicles and the American Red Cross available to assist displaced residents.
Authorities closed the affected section of Military Trail and warned that restrictions could continue while investigators examined the debris.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was travelling to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
The aircraft was a twin-engine business jet manufactured by Bombardier.
US media identified its registration as N722BD, citing aviation records.
The aircraft’s registered ownership does not, by itself, establish who operated the flight.
Local authorities had not publicly identified the 9 victims or disclosed the number of passengers and crew aboard.
The NTSB is leading the investigation, with assistance from the FAA.
A media briefing was held in West Palm Beach on Monday.
