A Florida jet crash in Palm Beach County killed all nine people aboard, the Federal Aviation Administration said, after the aircraft went down near homes shortly before 1pm on Sunday.
The Learjet 60 had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was travelling to the Bahamas when it crashed near the Cresthaven area, the FAA said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that nobody on board survived. It was not immediately known whether anyone on the ground was injured.
Air traffic control audio captured the pilot reporting a rapid descent before declaring an emergency. The pilot was heard saying: “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute.”
In a later transmission, the pilot said: “We’re gonna crash … We’re out of time.”
The cause of the crash has not been disclosed. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending an investigation team, with investigators expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday morning.
Jim Reynolds, a spokesman for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said the aircraft was privately operated but that he could not immediately provide details about those on board.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
Footage recorded by people inside vehicles showed the aircraft plunging from the sky. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said all northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail, near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, were closed until further notice.
