Florida Plane Crash Kills Nine as Learjet Plunges into Residential Neighbourhood

Nine people have been killed after a Learjet 60 aircraft crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Palm Beach County, southern Florida, several miles from United States President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort home.

The aircraft had departed from Austin, Texas, and was heading to the Bahamas when it crashed near the Cresthaven neighbourhood on Sunday, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Authorities Confirm Nine Fatalities

Duffy described the incident as a horrific tragedy, confirming that all nine people aboard the aircraft died.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also described the crash as catastrophic, saying the aircraft appeared to be descending rapidly before striking the ground. Authorities reported no injuries among people on the ground.

The aircraft came down near the entrance to a mobile home park. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 600 residents were evacuated and relocated to shelters following the incident.

Cockpit Recording Reveals Emergency Calls

An audio recording reportedly captured by an air traffic monitoring website indicated that the crew had encountered moderate turbulence and was dealing with ice accumulation shortly before the crash.

In the recording, a person in the cockpit reported that the aircraft was picking up precipitation and needed to climb. The crew later declared an emergency as the plane descended rapidly.

One voice was heard saying, “We're going to crash into the ground,” shortly before communication with air traffic control stopped.

US Agencies to Investigate Crash

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Storms had reportedly been recorded in the area around the time of the incident, while the cockpit recording raised questions about possible weather-related challenges during the flight.

The crash occurred less than seven miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. The president had been at the property earlier on Sunday before departing from the nearby President Donald J. Trump International Airport aboard Air Force One, about an hour before the aircraft went down.

AFP