A Learjet 60 business jet carrying nine people crashed in a residential area of Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon. All nine people on board were killed, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed.
What happened?
The aircraft, registered as N722BD and operated by LR60271 LLC, had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. It was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
The jet crashed around 12:50 p.m. local time near Military Trail, close to a mobile home community.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange showed the aircraft suddenly losing altitude at an alarming rate. The jet was flying at around 35,000 feet before rapidly descending.
The impact left a large crater in the road and scattered debris across the area. At least one mobile home was damaged. The crash also brought down power lines and sparked fires.
Also Read: ‘Mayday, Mayday!’: Final cockpit audio emerges after Learjet crash kills 9 in Florida
Videos capture final moments
Videos circulating online show the business jet plunging toward the ground in a steep dive before crashing and erupting into a massive fireball.
Dashcam footage also captured the moment of impact and the fire that followed. Other clips show burning debris scattered around the crash site, with thick black smoke rising near homes and vehicles.
FAA and NTSB launch investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash to determine what caused the aircraft to go down.
The crash site is located a few miles from Palm Beach International Airport.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the nine victims or determined what caused the deadly crash.
