World
Nine Killed as Bahamas-Bound Jet Plunges Into Florida Neighbourhood
— 2 mins read
A private jet flying from Texas to the Bahamas dropped almost 27,000 feet in about a minute before hitting a road in Palm Beach County.
The Learjet 60 came down at around 12:50pm local time on Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres. It hit close to the entrance of a mobile home community. The aircraft had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, according to People.
The jet was cruising at around 35,000 feet when the crew reported icing, precipitation and turbulence. Air traffic control recordings published on LiveATC capture the pilot describing “light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence”, then asking to climb higher.
Moments later, the pilot declared an emergency. She told controllers the aircraft was “in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute” and said: “We’re going to crash into the ground.” About 35 seconds after the mayday, the last transmission from the cockpit was: “We’re out of time.”
The FAA said the aircraft fell to 8,750 feet in just over a minute, Latin Times reported. Footage filmed by witnesses shows a near-vertical descent followed by an explosion. The impact left a crater in the road.
Footage filmed by witnesses shows a near-vertical descent followed by an explosion. The impact left a crater in the road.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and called it “a cataclysmic plane crash”. He said the jet looked “like a missile coming down” and that there was “a massive explosion”. Officials have reported no deaths or injuries on the ground. Around 600 residents of the nearby mobile home community were evacuated.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash “a horrific tragedy”. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, and the FAA has sent a team to support it. The NTSB is expected to give a briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. A preliminary report usually follows within 30 days.
The cause of the crash is not yet known, and the victims have not been named.
