Nine killed as Learjet crashes into Florida neighborhood in US

Crash hits residential area

The private jet went down in Cresthaven, a Palm Beach County neighborhood, at 12:50 p.m. local time, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. It hit beside a road and erupted into flames, leaving a crater.

All nine people aboard died. Homes nearby were narrowly missed, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths on the ground. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 600 people were being evacuated and moved to two shelters.

Jet reported weather difficulties

The Learjet 60 had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It was flying east at 35,000 feet when the pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation.

The pilots asked to climb another 2,000 feet. Soon afterward, the aircraft began descending steeply, according to air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking data. The recorded descent rate rose from 10,000 feet per minute to as much as 30,000 feet per minute, exceeding the aircraft’s design limits.

Recording captures final moments

The cockpit voice later reported that the aircraft was banking 60 degrees and descending at 22,000 feet per minute. A scream was heard before the final transmission. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis compared the aircraft’s descent to “a missile going down.” Videos shared on social media showed the jet descending near the road and a fireball after impact.