A business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss homes before crashing near a busy roadway. All passengers on board were killed, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
Duffy posted on X on Sunday that the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m. and called it a “horrific tragedy.” The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause, he said.
Chunks of pavement could be seen in the footage engulfed in fire as people milled about, expressing shock that the jet landed only feet from homes. Black smoke billowed out of the hole, wafting past palm trees swaying on the stormy day.
The aircraft took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the jet to go down or who was on it.
Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said.
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First responders, including Greenacres Fire Rescue, were dispatched to an incident near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North on Sunday afternoon, with further details pending from authorities.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the FAA were contacted for additional information.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
Malcolm Shields from sister station WPBF contributed.
