Nine killed as business jet crashes in Florida
A Learjet flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed beside a busy road in Palm Beach County, killing all nine people on board. No one on the ground was reported hurt.
Developing story. Details may change as more information is confirmed.
A business jet carrying nine people crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing everyone on board, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. He called it a horrific tragedy.
The plane, a Learjet 60, had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It went down at about 12:50 p.m. Eastern time near the community of Cresthaven, close to a busy road. Video recorded by drivers showed the jet diving steeply before it struck the ground and exploded in a ball of fire, leaving a crater and debris spread over a wide area.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the crash as cataclysmic and said there were no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured, even though the jet came down only a short distance from homes and passing cars. Authorities closed the road near the scene.
Officials had not released the names of the people on board or said how many were crew members. The FAA lists the plane as registered to a company in Delaware. Austin's airport said it was a private flight, not a commercial one.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with help from the FAA, and planned to send a team to the site. The cause of the crash has not been determined. Bombardier, which makes the Learjet, said it would support investigators. This is a developing story.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.