All nine people aboard a business jet died after it crashed into a neighborhood in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday. The Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane came down near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, close to homes and a busy roadway. Video from motorists showed the aircraft plunging toward the ground before it struck and burst into flames, leaving a crater in the pavement. Duffy said the FAA is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the cause. Authorities had not said what caused the crash.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office closed roads in both directions and asked drivers to avoid the area. A woman working nearby said electricity had been out for about two hours after the crash. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom, called it a private aircraft and said it was "definitely a tragedy."