Florida Jet Crash Kills All Nine Aboard as Learjet Plunges Into Neighborhood

PALM BEACH COUNTY — All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 business jet were killed on Sunday afternoon when the aircraft plunged into a South Florida neighborhood near Greenacres and erupted into a fireball, according to federal officials.

The jet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It crashed at about 12:50 p.m. ET near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, between Greenacres and Palm Springs, scattering debris and sparking fires. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a "horrific tragedy" and confirmed there were no survivors aboard, while Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground killed or injured. The cause of the crash was not yet known, and officials said the investigation was in its early stages.

About 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were evacuated to shelters while investigators worked the scene, according to Palm Beach County officials, and roads around the crash site were closed. The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time, though officials have not said what caused the crash.