Nine people have been killed after a private Learjet 60 aircraft crashed and burst into flames in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, on Sunday while heading to the Bahamas, authorities have said.
The crash, which occurred in the afternoon, ranks as the second deadliest aviation accident in the US this year, according to National Transportation Safety Board records.
It followed a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that claimed 12 lives.
The identities of the nine people on board have yet to be released, while officials have not confirmed how many were passengers or crew members.
Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, described the incident, saying, “It looked like a missile going down.”
Although no deaths were reported among people on the ground, the crash left a significant trail of debris and damaged a road near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North.
The incident also disrupted access to a mobile home park, leaving about 600 residents in need of temporary shelter.
Palm Beach County Commissioner, Joel Flores, said affected residents were being moved to two shelters as investigations continued.
US Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, confirmed the fatalities and described the incident as a “horrific tragedy.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB are investigating the crash, with investigators expected to arrive at the scene on Sunday and Monday.
A news conference has been scheduled for Monday to provide further details.
According to the FAA, the aircraft was travelling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to the Bahamas.
The jet was registered to a limited liability company in Delaware and was listed as available for charter services.
Minutes before the crash, the pilot reportedly informed air traffic controllers that ice was accumulating on the aircraft, with an outside air temperature of -47 degrees Celsius and moderate turbulence causing the plane to bounce by as much as 700 feet.
The pilot initially described the conditions as manageable, saying, “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence.”
However, the situation deteriorated after precipitation began, prompting the pilot to request a climb before declaring an emergency.
The pilot subsequently issued a distress call, stating, “We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday – we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” before adding, “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute … We’re going to crash into the ground.”
Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange indicated that the aircraft descended approximately 27,000 feet in one minute before the tracking information stopped.
Weather conditions in the area included scattered thunderstorms, with the aircraft reportedly passing through a stronger storm cell shortly before its rapid descent.
However, investigators have not established whether the weather contributed to the crash.
The FAA had issued warnings about thunderstorms and potential aviation hazards in the area at the time of the incident.
Experts have also highlighted the dangers of ice accumulation on aircraft surfaces, noting that icing can affect flight control and make it difficult for pilots to maintain a stable flight path.
The NTSB had previously issued a safety alert in January 2024 warning that ice could “make managing the airplane’s flightpath and airspeed more difficult and can prevent the airplane from maintaining level flight.”
The aircraft crashed into Military Trail, leaving a crater and buckling the road, according to footage from CNN affiliate WPBF.
All northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail were shut down indefinitely, while motorists were advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
Resident Andrew Mannino, who witnessed the aftermath, told CNN, “I heard and felt the boom.”
He added, “The power immediately went out and is still out.”
Mannino also said he smelled smoke and “saw a large black cloud immerse in the air.”
The crash site was about four miles south of the airport in West Palm Beach and approximately eight miles southwest of Mar-A-Lago, the Florida residence of US President Donald Trump.
Trump had been in West Palm Beach earlier on Sunday but departed aboard Air Force One more than an hour before the crash.
CNN aviation analyst and former Transportation Department Inspector General, Mary Schiavo, said dashcam footage could prove crucial to investigators seeking to establish the cause of the accident.
She said the aircraft’s steep descent suggested the pilots had lost control, adding that the impact could have destroyed parts of the plane and possibly its flight recorder.
It remains unclear whether the aircraft had a cockpit voice recorder, which could provide investigators with important information about the final moments of the flight.
