Learjet crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people aboard

Lake Worth Beach, United States. A Learjet came down in a residential part of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, and all nine people aboard died, according to US transportation officials. The National Transportation Safety Board has started an investigation.

Flight details

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the private aircraft had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. Its destination was North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

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FAA records show that the Learjet 60, built by Bombardier, belongs to a corporation registered in Delaware. Bombardier, which is based in Canada, said it would give the investigation its full support and cooperate as required.

Scene of the crash

Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft hitting the ground beside a road and exploding. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at a press conference near the site in Lake Worth Beach and called the crash a major tragedy. He said the footage was jarring and that the jet looked as though “it was like a missile coming down”, with a huge blast and debris flying in all directions.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the event as a horrific tragedy.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said at the same news conference that the impact left a massive crater beside the road, close to the entrance of a mobile home park. He said about 600 people were being evacuated from the area and moved to two shelters in the county.

Weather and air traffic recording

Forecaster AccuWeather said in a statement that heavy rain and thunderstorms were affecting the area when the crash happened.

An audio recording from a Miami air traffic control center was posted on LiveATC, a website that broadcasts air traffic control communications. It captured the final moments before the crash in unusual detail. At first, someone in the cockpit told a controller that the crew was “managing the ice”, while also encountering moderate turbulence and looking for better rides.