The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
'Looked like a missile': Jet crash leaves massive crater in Florida neighbourhood - video
A private Learjet 60 carrying nine people plunged into a South Florida neighbourhood and exploded into a massive fireball, leaving a huge crater near a busy roadway in Greenacres, Florida. All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash, while authorities reported no immediate casualties on the ground.
A private Learjet 60 with nine people on board crashed in Greenacres, Florida, and erupted into a large fireball, leaving a substantial crater near a busy roadway.
Authorities confirmed all nine occupants were killed, with no immediate ground casualty reports. The crash site produced thick black smoke and burning debris scattered around the impact area.
Video from nearby drivers captured the aircraft nosediving before the explosion, as the jet descended rapidly and then collided with the ground close to homes and vehicles.
Flight tracking data and air traffic control recordings indicate the jet reported icing, turbulence and precipitation while at 35,000 feet, with a request to climb further before the descent accelerated and an emergency was declared.
The Learjet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas, and was en route to the Bahamas when it went down in Palm Beach County, near West Palm Beach. Officials evacuated about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community and closed the adjacent roadway as investigators prepared to review the incident.