The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
‘Cataclysmic’ jet crash onto Florida roadway kills all 9 on board
The Learjet 60 departed from Texas and was headed for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
A Learjet 60 bound for the Bahamas crashed near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board, authorities said.
The flight departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and crashed around 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Video footage from a dashcam captured the jet nose-diving into a roadway with a fiery explosion and subsequent flames and smoke at the impact site.
Air traffic control audio during the final moments described rapid descent rates, with phrases indicating a 10,000 to 20,000 feet-per-minute loss of altitude, a Mayday call, and references to icing and precipitation before the crash.
Officials noted a large debris field and canyon-like crater at the road site, and responders worked under reports of a traffic disruption and evacuations from nearby residences and a mobile home park.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, and the aircraft is registered to a Delaware-based limited liability company.
Florida officials described the event as catastrophic, with authorities closing road lanes and coordinating shelter for evacuees in the area.