As the jet is crashing
Nine dead after private jet crashes in Florida
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- A Learjet crashed into a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard.
- The aircraft departed Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas.
Nine people were killed Sunday when a Learjet crashed into a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, after departing Austin, Texas, en route to the Bahamas, US officials said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the crash as a "horrific tragedy," confirming the fatalities in a statement. All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed.
The crash occurred in Palm Beach County, home to President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, although officials have not indicated any connection between the president or his property and the accident.
The aircraft, identified as a Learjet 60, went down near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, close to the Cresthaven area of Greenacres. Video circulating on social media showed the jet plunging towards the ground before exploding on impact, producing a large fireball, thick black smoke and a crater in the roadway. The wreckage fell close to passing vehicles and residential properties.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash, with the latter leading the inquiry. Authorities have not established what caused the aircraft to lose control, and the identities of those killed had not been released pending notification of their families.
The disaster comes amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety in the United States under Trump's presidency, following a series of high-profile aviation incidents and renewed questions about federal oversight.
The most devastating was the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft were killed, making it the deadliest US aviation disaster in more than two decades.
The collision also sparked a political dispute over aviation safety after Trump suggested, without presenting evidence, that diversity initiatives at the FAA had contributed to the disaster. His remarks drew criticism from Democrats and aviation figures, who accused him of assigning blame before investigators had established the cause.
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