West Palm Beach (Florida): All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 died when the business jet crashed into a residential area in Florida’s Palm Beach County on Sunday, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, confirming the toll from an accident that left a crater beside a road and forced authorities to arrange shelter for hundreds of residents.
The aircraft crashed near Cresthaven at about 12:50 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
“All 9 people on board were killed,” Duffy wrote on X. He called the crash a “horrific tragedy” and said the FAA was sending personnel to support the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will lead the investigation.
Duffy asked the public to remember the victims’ families and said the two federal agencies were monitoring developments.
The FAA’s initial account confirmed nine people were aboard but did not disclose their condition. Duffy’s subsequent statement established that none had survived.
Officials had not publicly identified those killed, said how many were passengers and crew or released a confirmed cause of the crash by Sunday evening.
The Learjet came down near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Images from local television coverage showed a large fire, heavy smoke and debris scattered around the road and adjacent residential community.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and described the impact as “cataclysmic.”
“It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road,” DeSantis told reporters.
The governor said authorities had received no reports of people on the ground being killed or injured as of his briefing. He noted that debris had spread across a substantial area and thanked emergency personnel for their rapid response.
Palm Beach County officials said about 600 people living near the crash site could require temporary accommodation while investigators and emergency crews worked in the area.
County Commissioner Joel Flores said two shelters were on standby. County transit vehicles were being readied to move residents, while the American Red Cross was available to provide support. Officials said the closure of the area could last beyond Sunday.
The NTSB said it was dispatching an investigative team to Florida, with members expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday. The board also announced plans for a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday.
CNN, citing air traffic control recordings, reported that the pilots had mentioned icing, turbulence and precipitation shortly before the aircraft entered a steep descent. Investigators have not said whether those conditions contributed to the accident.
The Learjet 60 is a twin-engine business aircraft manufactured by Bombardier. The aircraft involved carried the registration N722BD, according to aviation records cited by local media. Its registered ownership does not establish who was operating the flight.
The NTSB investigates US civil aviation accidents to establish their probable causes and recommend safety measures. Its initial reports contain factual findings, while a final determination follows an examination of the wreckage, flight records, weather information and other evidence.
(IANS)
