A Bahamas-bound business jet crashed beside a road in a South Florida residential neighborhood Sunday, killing all nine people aboard and leaving flames, broken pavement and scattered debris near homes and businesses.
The Learjet 60 went down around 12:50 p.m. Nov. 1 near South Military Trail and Marilyn Drive in Greenacres, Palm Beach County. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that everyone aboard died.
Video from the scene shows fire burning across a damaged stretch of roadway as thick smoke rises above the neighborhood. Debris surrounds the impact site, where emergency crews responded to the crash. Witnesses reported hearing a boom from miles away.
The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency cautioned that its initial information was preliminary.
The crash forced authorities to close Military Trail in both directions between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue warned drivers to avoid the area as crews handled what it described as an “extended incident.”
The twin-engine business jet was registered to LR60271 LLC, a company based in Wilmington, Delaware.
Federal investigators are working to determine why the aircraft went down. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the FAA.
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