A private jet has crashed in Florida, causing a deadly explosion that has left nine people dead.
As CNN reports, officials have confirmed that a Learjet, bound for the Bahamas, crashed in Florida’s Palm Beach County on the afternoon of Sunday, November 1, and is believed to be the second deadliest air disaster this year.
“It looked like a missile going down,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said of the crash.
An Explosive Fireball
Video taken from a vehicle’s dashcam captured the moment of impact when the jet smashed to the earth, instantly erupting into a deadly fireball.
While there have yet to be any reports of anyone being killed on the ground, DeSantis noted that the crash created a debris field that stretched far beyond the crash site, which resulted in approximately 600 people now requiring shelter.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the private jet had been heading to the Bahamas, with the flight originating at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. The Learjet 60 had been registered to an LLC in Delaware, according to FAA records, and is listed online as being available for charter.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash, said a spokesperson for the FAA, with NTSB investigators slated to arrive on the scene on Monday, November 2.
Chilling Final Words
CNN reports that minutes before the crash, the jet’s pilot radioed the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center to report that ice had accumulated on the aircraft, with the pilot informing the control center that the plane had started to descend, and requested permission to climb.
Second later, however, the pilot declared an emergency as the plane began to plummet to the ground.
“We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot said. “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute … We’re going to crash into the ground.”
The jet reportedly descended 27,000 feet within just one minute, at which point flight tracking data was interrupted.
The road reportedly buckled upon impact, creating a huge crater in the concrete.
The site of the crash is just a few miles away from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Palm Beach authorities didn’t release any information about the crash to the public until an hour after it happened; as a result, reports Boca News Now, rumors began sparking that the plane was struck by missiles due to its proximity to Mar-a-Lago, destroying the plane.
However, the outlet notes, “There is no indication — at all — that this rumor is reality, but is seemingly a direct result of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue keeping information private until well after photos, videos, and rumors circulated online.”
Nine Dead After Fiery Learjet Crash in Florida: ‘Looked Like a Missile Going Down’