"Plummeting, Going to Crash Into the Ground"... All 9 People on Board Killed

A jet carrying nine people crashed into a road near a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1 (local time), killing everyone on board, CNN and other broadcasters reported.

The crash site is a road near a residential area located about 6 kilometers south of West Palm Beach Airport.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crashed jet was a Learjet 60 registered for charter use, en route from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to the Bahamas in the Caribbean.

The owner is a corporation based in Delaware.

Video released by CNN affiliate WPBF shows that the road surface where the jet crashed and impacted was twisted and deeply gouged, creating a large crater.

The Associated Press reported that residents were deeply shocked as the accident aircraft came down just a few feet away from residential homes.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X (formerly Twitter) that a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County at around 12:50 p.m., calling it a "horrific tragedy."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said during a press conference held at the accident scene that there were no reports of injuries or deaths among people on the ground.

At the time of the accident, sporadic and severe thunderstorms were sweeping through the area.

The accident jet is also reported to have passed through a heavy thunderstorm zone a few minutes before beginning its rapid descent.

However, it has not yet been definitively determined whether the thunderstorm acted as the cause of the accident.

"LiveATC," which broadcasts air traffic control communications, unusually captured detailed conversations between the pilot and air traffic controllers at the time of the accident.

At the time, the aircraft was flying eastward at 35,000 feet (approx. 10.6 kilometers) when it reported turbulence, icing, and precipitation, requesting to climb 2,000 feet higher before plunging rapidly shortly afterward.

The pilot declared an emergency, sent out a distress call, and reported that the aircraft was descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute.

Seconds later, the pilot stated that it was descending at 20,000 feet per minute and would crash into the ground.

In the end, the aircraft crashed to the ground banked to the right and was immediately engulfed in flames.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo estimated to the Associated Press that the aircraft may have entered a stall state, losing lift and plunging rapidly.

The FAA plans to investigate the cause of the accident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Authorities have restricted the area around the accident road and recommended using detours until further notice.

According to NTSB records, this accident is the second-deadliest aviation accident in the U.S. this year.

Previously, in June, a small airplane used for skydiving crashed in Butler, Missouri, killing 12 people.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.