A privately operated business jet carrying nine people plunged almost vertically into a South Florida neighbourhood on Sunday before bursting into a massive fireball, killing everyone on board. The aircraft crashed near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, narrowly missing nearby homes and leaving a large crater on a busy roadway.
Videos Show Exact Moment Of Chilling Crash
Dramatic footage recorded by occupants of passing vehicles captured the aircraft descending rapidly from the sky before exploding on impact. Thick black smoke soon billowed over the crash site, while flames engulfed debris scattered across the road.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths in a post on X, saying the crash took place at around 12:50 pm ET. He described it as a 'horrific tragedy' and said the aircraft had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dispatched a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) with the investigation. Duffy said the US Department of Transportation and the FAA were monitoring the situation and would release further information as it became available.
Panicked Final Transmissions Before Crash
Air traffic control recordings, reported by the New York Post, captured the crew's increasingly desperate communications with controllers as the private Learjet 60 lost altitude shortly before impact.
The pilot initially reported moderate turbulence and “light, clear ice that is manageable” to the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. However, the situation appeared to deteriorate rapidly, with the crew subsequently issuing a mayday call.
“We’re descending 8,000, mayday, mayday! We’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot was heard saying. In a later transmission, the pilot reported that the aircraft was in an overspeed condition and descending at 20,000 feet per minute.
“We’re going to crash into the ground,” the pilot said in another distressed communication, followed by a scream. The air traffic controller attempted to establish contact, telling the crew, “November two bravo delta, I’m here with you, talk to me.”
A crew member later reported that the aircraft was descending at an alarming rate and banking at 60 degrees. Moments before the crash, a female crew member was heard shouting, “Holy f–k, we’re out of time.”
The recordings offer a chilling account of the aircraft's final moments as investigators work to establish what caused the sudden loss of control. The FAA and NTSB are probing the circumstances surrounding the crash.
