A Learjet 60 private jet crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft had departed from Austin, Texas, and was bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it went down near Greenacres at around 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Video recorded by a camera inside a car shows the aircraft descending almost vertically before hitting the ground beside a busy road. The impact caused a major explosion and left a crater surrounded by burning debris.
The crew had reported ice accumulation and moderate turbulence shortly before the crash. The pilots were seeking more stable flight conditions and had requested permission to climb, but the situation deteriorated rapidly.
A 20-year-old pilot declared a Mayday and reported that the aircraft was losing altitude at 10,000 feet per minute. Moments later, radio communications indicated that the descent had accelerated to 20,000 feet per minute and that the aircraft was in an overspeed condition. The final recorded message was: “We’re out of time.”
Flight-monitoring data indicated that the jet lost about 27,000 feet, or approximately 8.2 kilometres, in just one minute. At one point, its vertical descent rate reportedly exceeded 32,000 feet per minute, equivalent to more than 365 km/h.
Although the crash occurred close to homes and businesses, authorities had not reported deaths or injuries on the ground at the time of the report. Around 600 people were temporarily evacuated to two shelters while officials assessed the safety and habitability of nearby buildings.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash as a major tragedy and said the aircraft appeared to be “a missile falling” before it struck the ground.
Sources: Pplware.