9 Killed as Learjet Crashes in South Florida Neighborhood near Mar-a-Lago

Nine Killed in Palm Beach County Learjet Crash Near Mar-a-Lago

A private business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a South Florida neighborhood on Sunday, erupting into a large fireball near a busy roadway and leaving a deep crater just miles from US President Donald Trump’s resort home. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed in a statement that all nine people on board the aircraft were killed in the crash.

The aircraft involved was a Learjet 60 that had departed from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas. The crash occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. in Cresthaven, a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County located less than 11 kilometers from Mar-a-Lago. President Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday and departed from the nearby President Donald J Trump International Airport shortly after boarding Air Force One at 11:55 a.m., roughly an hour before the accident took place.

Pilot Radioed Severe Turbulence and Rapid Descent

According to air traffic control recordings, the pilot stated that ice was accumulating on the aircraft while flying in an outside air temperature of -47 degrees Celsius. Moderate turbulence caused the plane to bounce by up to 700 feet.

The situation deteriorated rapidly as the aircraft lost altitude. Audio captures the pilot shouting about a severe overspeed condition. We’re descending 10,000 feet per minute, the pilot radioed, followed by, We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute, we’re going to crash into the ground! Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed the jet descending 27,000 feet over the course of a single minute before tracking data abruptly cut off.

Jet Crashes into Roadway and Forces Evacuations

Video footage recorded by witnesses and passing motorists showed the jet slamming down nose-first onto a roadway near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a cataclysmic plane crash during a briefing. Debris was scattered across the pavement, and thick black smoke rose over the residential area.

While no immediate injuries were reported on the ground, local authorities initiated sweeping evacuations. Joel Flores, Palm Beach County commissioner for District 3, stated that approximately 600 people required temporary shelter because debris blocked the entrance to a nearby mobile home park. Residents were directed to two designated county shelters while emergency responders secured the area and utilities crews worked to restore power following outages.

Federal Agencies Investigate Cause of Crash

Federal agencies have launched a joint inquiry into the disaster. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that it is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board in investigating the cause of the crash. According to FAA records, the Learjet 60 is registered to a Delaware-listed limited liability company and is operated as a charter aircraft.

Investigators have not yet determined the exact trigger for the rapid descent. Officials have also withheld the identities of the nine victims, as well as the precise breakdown of passengers versus crew members. Scattered storms were present in the region at the time of the flight, and flight paths indicate the jet passed near a strong storm cell shortly before the emergency declarations began, though authorities have not formally linked the weather conditions to the final outcome.