PALM BEACH COUNTY: A Learjet crash killed all nine people aboard a private aircraft in Florida on Sunday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents near the impact site.
The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
The aircraft plunged into a residential area near Lake Worth Beach and exploded beside a road. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said the impact left a large crater near the entrance to a mobile home park.
Authorities began evacuating about 600 people to two county shelters. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the area and described the crash as a tragedy.
He said footage showed the aircraft descending rapidly before an explosion scattered debris. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation.
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A recording of air traffic control communications captured the aircraft’s final moments. Someone in the cockpit initially reported icing and moderate turbulence while asking controllers for better flying conditions.
Less than a minute later, the person declared an emergency and reported a descent rate of 10,000 feet per minute. Further calls described the aircraft descending at an accelerating rate before contact ended.
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Flight tracking service Flightradar24 recorded a descent exceeding 32,000 feet per minute at one point. Forecaster AccuWeather reported heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area when the crash occurred.
FAA records identify a Delaware corporation as the registered owner of the Bombardier-built aircraft. Bombardier said it would cooperate fully with investigators.
