A routine flight from Texas to the Bahamas ended in tragedy on Sunday after a business jet plunged into a busy Florida street, killing all nine people aboard and triggering a massive fireball that left wreckage scattered across the roadway.
The Learjet 60 crashed near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, approximately nine miles (14 kilometres) from US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, at about 12:50 local time.
Despite the intensity of the impact, authorities confirmed that no one on the ground was injured.
Images from the scene showed a massive crater in the middle of Military Trail, a six-lane road, with burning debris and aircraft wreckage strewn across the carriageway.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas before the fatal incident.
Preliminary flight-tracking data indicated that the jet experienced an alarming descent, plunging hundreds of feet per second shortly before impact.
Audio recordings of communications between the cockpit and air traffic controllers also revealed that the crew encountered challenging weather conditions, including moderate turbulence, ice accumulation and heavy precipitation.
As the situation deteriorated, the pilots reportedly attempted to climb to a safer altitude before declaring an emergency. The aircraft, however, continued its rapid descent and crashed moments later.
Footage circulating on social media, which has not been independently verified, appeared to capture the final moments of the incident. The recording showed vehicles travelling along the suburban road before the aircraft suddenly plunged almost vertically into the ground, erupting into a massive fireball.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the collision caused extensive damage beyond the crash site, including significant destruction to local water infrastructure.
Officials estimated that repairs would take at least 30 days before Military Trail could reopen to motorists.
Severe weather may also have been a factor in the incident, as thunderstorms were reported across the area around the time of the crash, with heavy rainfall continuing during a subsequent press briefing.
President Trump had been at his Mar-a-Lago residence earlier on Sunday before departing from a nearby airport aboard Air Force One approximately an hour before the crash.
Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disaster, including the aircraft’s sudden loss of altitude and the adverse weather conditions encountered during the flight.
