Business Jet Kills Nine in Palm Beach County
A Learjet 60 crashed into a residential street near Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, prompting a mass casualty declaration by local fire authorities.
By Connor Murphy ·
All nine people aboard a business jet died when the aircraft crashed into a residential neighborhood in Florida on Sunday. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the death toll, describing the event as a horrific tragedy.
The Learjet 60 went down around 12:50 a.m. EST near Cresthaven, a community located approximately nine miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach County. The Federal Aviation Administration stated the plane had departed from Austin, Texas, with the Bahamas as its intended destination.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue labeled the event a mass casualty incident. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office pinpointed the crash site along Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Local officials advised motorists to avoid the area and find alternate routes.
Debris from the impact, including concrete fragments and fire, created a crater-sized hole in the residential road. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with the FAA sending a team to assist on the scene.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the individuals on board or confirmed whether anyone on the ground was injured or killed. Secretary Duffy asked the public to pray for the families and loved ones of the victims.
