A Learjet 60 crashed in a residential neighbourhood near Cresthaven, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft departed Austin, Texas, headed to the Bahamas and went down around 12:50 EST near Military Trail, about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago.
Air traffic control audio recorded before impact shows the pilot reporting the jet was descending 10,000 feet per minute, then declaring an emergency: "We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute." The pilot then said, "We're gonna crash ... We're out of time," according to CBS News.
Video footage posted on social media appears to show the aircraft nosedive nearly vertically into the ground and explode. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a news conference: "It's like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere."
No deaths or injuries were reported on the ground. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the crash occurred on Military Trail, a six-lane road with businesses and restaurants. DeSantis and local officials said 600 residents from a nearby trailer-park community were being evacuated. The impact damaged water lines, and officials said it would take at least 30 days before the road reopened.
The FAA said thunderstorms were in the area at the time. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a "horrific tragedy" and said the FAA was sending a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation.