Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleA business jet crashed in a Florida neighbourhood on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, according to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The details come from BBC News US and Canada.
The crash happened near Cresthaven, about nine miles (14 km) from Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach County. It occurred at around 12:50 EST (17:50 GMT).
What is known about the flight
The aircraft was a Learjet 60. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it had left Austin, Texas, and was heading for the Bahamas.
It is not yet clear who was aboard. Images taken after the crash show a crater in the middle of a residential road, with patches of fire and pieces of concrete and debris from the plane scattered around.
US media reports and flight analysis indicate the jet was plummeting at hundreds of feet per second before it hit the ground. CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, reported on air traffic control audio recorded moments before the crash. In it, the pilot says the plane is descending at 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot then declares an emergency, reporting an overspeed condition and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot tells the tower the aircraft is going to crash and that there is no time left, CBS reported.
Unverified social media footage appears to be dash-camera video of the moment of impact. It shows vehicles driving along a suburban street before an aircraft nosedives almost vertically into the ground and explodes in a large fireball.
Response on the ground
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the video was jarring. He compared it to a missile coming down, with a massive explosion and debris flying everywhere. He told reporters that, as of now, there were no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured.
Duffy called the crash a “horrific tragedy” and asked the public to pray for the families and loved ones of those lost. He said the FAA was sending a team to the scene to help with an investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass casualty incident. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the crash took place on Military Trail, a six-lane road with businesses and eateries.
DeSantis and local officials said about 600 residents of a nearby trailer-park community were being evacuated. They said the impact caused considerable damage to local infrastructure, including water lines, and that the road would stay closed for at least 30 days.
Weather and the president’s movements
Thunderstorms had been reported in the area at the time of the crash, and heavy rain was falling as officials held their news conference. The source does not say what caused the crash.
Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday morning. He left from a nearby airport on Air Force One about an hour before the crash.
Source: BBC News US and Canada
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
