Nine killed as business jet crashes into Florida neighbourhood
A Learjet 60 travelling from Texas to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County on Sunday.
All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 business jet were killed when the aircraft crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, according to The Hindu and Telangana Today.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities, stating the aircraft crashed at approximately 12:50 p.m. local time. The jet had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
The aircraft, which carried the registration N722BD, nose-dived into a neighbourhood near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the impact as cataclysmic, noting that the plane left a large crater beside a road.
Air traffic control recordings reported that the pilots mentioned icing, turbulence, and precipitation before the aircraft entered a steep descent. One pilot reportedly declared an emergency and radioed that the plane was in an overspeed condition before the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the cause. Palm Beach County officials said about 600 residents living near the site could require temporary accommodation while emergency crews work in the area.