KABUL (Pajhwok): Nine people have been killed when a Learjet crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, US transportation officials said.
The private jet had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Videos on social media showed the aircraft crashing beside a road and exploding, Reuters reported.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a “big-time tragedy”, saying the video showed the aircraft coming down “like a missile” before a massive explosion.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash, which US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called a “horrific tragedy”. Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier said it would cooperate with investigators.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said the crash left a “massive crater” near a mobile home park. Around 600 people were being evacuated and moved to two shelters.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time, forecaster AccuWeather said.
An audio recording of communications with Miami air traffic control captured the aircraft’s final moments. A person in the cockpit initially reported ice and moderate turbulence before issuing a Mayday call and declaring an emergency.
The aircraft’s descent rate reportedly accelerated from 10,000 to 22,000 feet per minute. The final words heard from the cockpit were: “We’re out of time.”
Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said the vertical descent rate exceeded 32,000 feet per minute at one point.
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