WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a south Florida neighborhood Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss homes before crashing near a busy roadway. All passengers on board were killed, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
Duffy posted on X on Sunday that the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m. and called it a “horrific tragedy.” The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause, he said.
It was not immediately known if anyone on the ground in the Palm Beach County neighborhood was injured or killed.
The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the FAA. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the jet to go down or who was aboard.
Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
He said the tail number for the flight was N722BD.
Bystander videos showed the aircraft plunging from the sky, striking near the roadway and exploding. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as people milled about, expressing shock that it landed only feet from homes and passing vehicles. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.
It was unclear whether any homes were damaged by the crash.
The crash occurred near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and urged motorists to avoid the area. Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
A woman working nearby said electricity in the area had been out for about two hours after the crash.
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