Texas Jet Carrying 9 Crashes in Palm Beach, Florida, Killing All on Board
A business jet carrying nine people plunged into the ground near homes in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing everyone aboard, officials said.
No one on the ground was hurt, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference. Local officials said roughly 600 people were evacuated from the crash site near a mobile home park in Cresthaven.
The Learjet 60 went down in Palm Beach County shortly before 1 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, the agency said.
Officials had not released information about what caused the crash.
“It was like a missile coming down and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere. And to have those people on board, it’s really a tragic way to see people pass away,” DeSantis said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on X that all nine people aboard the aircraft had died.
“Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost,” Duffy wrote.
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Audio from air traffic control captured the pilot’s final communications with the tower before the crash. According to audio posted by LiveATC.net, the pilot said the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot later declared an emergency and shouted, “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute.”
The pilot was later heard telling the tower, “We’re gonna crash … We’re out of time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday that it was sending a team to investigate the crash. Investigators were expected to arrive later Sunday and Monday morning.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
Dashboard-camera video from nearby vehicles captured the terrifying moment the aircraft fell from the sky.
The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said all northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North would remain closed until further notice.
