The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Jet from Texas carrying 9 people crashes in Palm Beach, Florida, killing everyone on board, officials say
Details about what may have caused the crash had not yet been shared.
A business jet with nine people aboard crashed near homes in Palm Beach County, Florida, Sunday afternoon, killing everyone on board, according to officials.
The aircraft, identified as a Learjet 60, had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to the Bahamas when it went down just before 1 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
There were no reported injuries on the ground, and roughly 600 people were evacuated from the crash site near a mobile home park in Cresthaven, local officials stated.
Authorities described the event as a deadly crash and noted that air traffic control audio captured the pilot’s emergency communications during an rapid descent before the crash. The pilot reportedly declared an emergency and indicated an overspeed condition before stating, “We’re gonna crash … We’re out of time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was launching a go-team to investigate, with investigators expected to arrive later Sunday and Monday morning. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office closed nearby roadways to northbound and southbound traffic near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North.