Nine people have been killed after a Learjet 60 bound for the Bahamas crashed in a residential area near Cresthaven, Florida, and erupted into flames.
The private jet had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas before coming down at about 12.50pm local time on Sunday, around 6.5km south of the airport in West Palm Beach.
US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that everyone on board had died. “All nine people on board were killed,” he said. “Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost.”
It remains unclear whether anyone on the ground was killed. Footage from the scene showed a large fireball, while onlookers gathered near a crater filled with flames as emergency crews arrived.
Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft descended 27,000 feet in about one minute before its signal was lost. Scattered storms were reported in the area, and the Learjet had passed through a stronger storm cell several minutes before beginning its descent.
It has not been established whether the weather contributed to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the US National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The airport, which was renamed earlier this year for President Donald Trump, had been left by Mr Trump on Air Force One a little more than an hour before the crash.
All lanes on a nearby roadway were closed, with officials warning that the disruption would continue and advising motorists to use alternative routes. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said: “Avoid the area. This will be an extended incident.”
