A small jet crashed in a residential area in Florida, killing all nine people on board, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation said.
The accident occurred near Cresthaven, Florida, around 12:50 PM (5:50 PM GMT, local time) on Sunday the 1st.
The accident site is about 14 km away from U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, located in a wealthy area of Palm Beach County.
Photos from the accident scene showed a huge crater forming on a residential road and flames rising in various places. Wreckage and concrete debris from the crashed Learjet 60 aircraft were also scattered around.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the plane departed from Austin, Texas, and was heading to the Bahamas.
image copyrightReuters
According to American media reports and flight record analysis, the accident aircraft plunged at hundreds of feet per second just before crashing.
A recording of air traffic just before the accident, obtained by the BBC's US partner CBS News, shows the pilot saying the aircraft was descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute.
Afterwards, the pilot declared an emergency and urgently shouted, "We are speeding and descending at 20,000 feet per minute," CBS reported.
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According to CBS, the pilot even told the air traffic control tower, "I think I'm going to crash... I don't have time."
Unconfirmed video posted on social media shows what appears to be the moment of the accident.
While cars were driving down a suburban residential road, an aircraft suddenly plummeted almost vertically toward the ground and was engulfed in huge flames. It appears to be a video recorded in the vehicle's black box, but its authenticity has not yet been confirmed.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference held after the accident, "It's shocking to see the video. It looked like a missile was falling. There was a huge explosion and debris was flying everywhere."
It has not yet been confirmed who was on board the aircraft at the time of the crash. “At this time, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries to anyone on the ground,” DeSantis said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the accident as a "horrible tragedy." He went on to say that a Federal Aviation Administration investigation team is being dispatched to the scene to assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its accident investigation.
Minister Duffy added, “I ask you to join us in praying for the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”
Palm Beach County fire and rescue authorities declared this accident an 'accident with multiple casualties.'
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According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, the accident occurred on Military Trail, a six-lane road lined with shops and restaurants.
Governor DeSantis and local officials said at a press conference that they were evacuating 600 residents of a mobile home complex near the accident site.
Authorities explained that the impact of the plane crash caused significant damage to local infrastructure, including water pipes, and that it would take at least 30 days for the accident road to reopen.
There were reports of a thunderstorm in the area at the time of the accident, and heavy rain poured down while the press conference was held.
President Trump reportedly stayed at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday morning and departed on Air Force One, the presidential plane, from a nearby airport about an hour before the accident.
