Nine killed as small jet crashes on Florida street
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the crash, which happened near President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, as a "horrific tragedy".
Key points
- A Learjet 60 crashed in a Florida neighbourhood on Sunday, killing all nine people on board.
- The jet was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it went down near Cresthaven.
- The pilot reported an overspeed descent and said 'We're gonna crash' before the impact.
A business jet crashed in a residential neighbourhood in Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, the US transport secretary said. The Learjet 60 went down near Cresthaven, about nine miles (14 km) from Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach County, at around 12:50 EST (17:50 GMT).
The aircraft had departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Images after the crash showed a crater in a residential road, with fire and debris from the plane scattered around.
Pilot reported emergency
In air traffic control audio recorded moments before the crash, the pilot said the plane was descending 10,000 feet per minute, according to CBS News. The pilot then declared an emergency and said, 'We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute,' CBS reported. The pilot also told the tower, 'We're gonna crash ... We're out of time.'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said video of the crash was 'a jarring thing'. He added: 'It's like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere.'
We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute
— the pilot, according to CBS News
Evacuations and investigation
DeSantis said there were no reports of anyone on the ground killed or injured. Officials said 600 residents were being evacuated from a nearby trailer-park community, and the crash damaged local infrastructure including water lines. The road would stay closed for at least 30 days.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a 'horrific tragedy' and said the FAA was sending a team to help a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass casualty incident. Thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time of the crash.
