Business Jet Nose-Dives Onto Florida Road and Explodes, Killing All 9 Aboard

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 1 (TodayViralUSA) — A business jet carrying nine people plunged nose-first onto a busy road in a Palm Beach County neighborhood on Sunday afternoon and exploded in a fireball, killing everyone on board, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The Learjet 60 had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it went down at about 12:50 p.m. near Cresthaven, in the Greenacres area, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with help from the FAA.

Duffy called the crash a “horrific tragedy.” The names of those on board had not been released Sunday night.

“Mayday, mayday”

Air traffic control audio captured the final moments. About two minutes before the crash, a pilot reported “light, clear ice” that she described as “manageable,” along with moderate turbulence and precipitation, and asked to climb. Moments later she declared an emergency, saying the jet was descending at 10,000 feet per minute and then 20,000 feet per minute, before saying, “We’re gonna crash into the ground.”

The Associated Press, citing control recordings and flight-tracking data, reported that the plane’s descent reached about 30,000 feet per minute, pushing it beyond its design limits. A flood watch was in effect for South Florida on Sunday, with showers and thunderstorms in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

Dashcam video showed the jet diving into the roadway at high speed. Later footage showed a burning crater in the middle of the street.

No reported injuries on the ground

Gov. Ron DeSantis called the crash “cataclysmic.” “It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road,” he told reporters, adding that debris was scattered over a “pretty significant distance” but that there were no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or hurt.

The impact closed all lanes of Military Trail, a six-lane commercial road, near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Officials said the crash damaged water lines and other infrastructure and that the road could stay closed for at least 30 days. About 600 residents of a nearby mobile home park were evacuated, and county officials said they were working to find shelter for them.

The crash site is about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach resort, the BBC noted.

Investigation under way

FAA records show the aircraft is registered to a limited liability company in Delaware. Bombardier, which makes the Learjet, said it was “deeply saddened” and could not comment on a possible cause until the investigation is complete.