Florida, Nov 2: Nine people were killed after a private Learjet crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, triggering a massive explosion and forcing the evacuation of around 600 residents from the vicinity.
The aircraft, a Bombardier-made Learjet 60, had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a major tragedy, saying the aircraft appeared to plunge towards the ground before exploding.
“It was a big-time tragedy that happened,” DeSantis said during a press conference near the crash site in Lake Worth Beach.
“When you see that video, it’s a jarring thing. It was like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere,” he added.
The crash left a massive crater near a road close to the entrance of a mobile home park, Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said. Around 600 people were being evacuated and relocated to two shelters in the county.
An audio recording of communications between the aircraft’s cockpit and a Miami air traffic control centre has captured the pilots’ final moments, indicating a rapid deterioration in the aircraft’s condition shortly before impact.
Initially, a person in the cockpit informed air traffic controllers that the crew was “managing the ice” but experiencing “moderate” turbulence and seeking “better rides”.
Less than a minute later, the cockpit issued a distress call, saying, “Mayday, mayday,” while reporting that the aircraft was descending at approximately 10,000 feet per minute.
The situation deteriorated rapidly, with the reported descent rate accelerating to 20,000 feet per minute. The cockpit subsequently declared an emergency.
“We’re going to crash into the ground,” the person said in one of the final transmissions, reporting that the descent rate had reached 22,000 feet per minute as the aircraft began banking.
About 35 seconds after the initial Mayday call, the last recorded words from the cockpit were: “We’re out of time.”
Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 reported that data showed the aircraft’s vertical descent rate had exceeded 32,000 feet per minute at one point.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were prevailing in the area around the time of the crash, according to forecaster AccuWeather. However, the circumstances leading to the accident have not yet been established.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash, while US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as a “horrific tragedy”.
FAA records identify the aircraft’s owner as a Delaware-based corporation. Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier said it would fully support the investigation and cooperate with authorities.
Videos circulating on social media showed the jet striking the ground beside a road before erupting into a fireball. A combination of still images from the footage also captured the moment of impact.
