Nine dead after private jet crashes in Palm Beach County

Residents in the Cresthaven area of Palm Beach County were forced from their homes on Sunday, Nov. 1, after a private jet crashed near the entrance of a local mobile home park. The accident resulted in the deaths of all nine people aboard the aircraft and left a large crater at the impact site.

The Learjet 60 crashed at approximately 12:50 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the plane departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft went down about nine miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

All nine individuals on board were killed in the crash. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths on Sunday afternoon. He described the incident as a horrific tragedy and stated that the FAA would send a team to the site to assist the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation.

Witness video from a vehicle dashcam shows the plane falling rapidly before striking the ground nose-first. The impact created a massive fireball and scattered debris across the surrounding area. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the scene cataclysmic. He compared the descent to a missile falling from the sky and noted that the wreckage was spread over a wide distance.

About 600 residents were evacuated from the nearby mobile home park. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said local officials were working with the Red Cross to help those displaced residents find safe housing. Two emergency shelters were set up to accommodate people who could not return home. No injuries were reported among people on the ground.

Military Trail was closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North while emergency personnel secured the area. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue advised drivers to avoid the vicinity because the response effort would take an extended amount of time. The FAA and NTSB are leading the investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

Officials have not announced a cause for the deadly crash. Federal investigators are currently examining the wreckage and gathering information at the scene.