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A tragic crash involving a Learjet 60 has resulted in the deaths of nine people in Palm Beach County, Florida. The aircraft, which departed from Austin, Texas, was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed into a residential area near Cresthaven on Sunday (November 1), according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The plane, a 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet, made a rapid descent of about 350 feet per second before crashing. The impact created a crater near a shopping center in the Greenacres community, as reported by ABC News. The crash site is approximately 5.7 miles from President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue described the incident as a "mass casualty incident," and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has closed multiple roads around the crash site, urging motorists to avoid the area, The Times reported.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a "horrific tragedy" and confirmed the fatalities on X. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident, with the NTSB leading the investigation and providing updates, according to New York Post.
The jet reportedly clipped a tree and brought down power lines before crashing, causing a massive fireball and demolishing at least one trailer in a mobile home park. The crash occurred shortly after 1 p.m., and the area remains closed as investigations continue.