A private jet carrying nine people slammed into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday afternoon, erupting into a massive fireball around nine miles from Mar-a-Lago.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) confirmed that the plane crashed in a residential area near Cresthaven, Florida, around 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1.
“Nine people were on board,” the FAA said.
“The aircraft departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
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“The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates,” the FAA added.
Emergency crews shut down Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, warning the public to avoid the area.
“Aircraft Incident,” Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said on X. “Avoid the area. This will be an extended incident.”
Video shared on social media showed the aircraft dropping rapidly before an explosion sent smoke and flames into the air.
According to airline tracking site, Flightradar24, the Learjet left Austin at 15:37 bound for the Bahamas and climbed to a cruising altitude of 41,000 feet.
“At 17:35 near Naples, FL, the aircraft began a descent down to 35,000 feet. At 17:48, the aircraft briefly climbed, before entering a steep, right-hand descent,” Flightradar24 said on X.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
