A private jet that departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport crashed near Cresthaven, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, an airport spokesperson confirmed. The plane was headed to the Bahamas. The FAA said the Learjet 60 crashed in a residential area around 12:50 p.m. Eastern time.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration. Austin aviation attorney Mike Slack said early reports suggest a sudden loss of control that sent the plane from controlled flight into a near-vertical dive. In an email, Slack said the aircraft had been maneuvering near intense thunderstorm activity before the crash and that the people on board had little or no time to react. He said the NTSB investigation will focus on how the loss of control occurred.
Information on any additional injuries or damage to nearby homes was not immediately available.