A business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss homes before crashing near a busy roadway, creating a giant fiery crater in the pavement.
The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the jet to go down or who was on it.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on social media that all nine people on the Learjet 60 plane were killed. He did not comment on whether any injuries or deaths had been reported on the ground in Palm Beach County.
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He said the FAA was sending a team to the scene to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation.
Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
He said the tail number for the flight was N722BD.
Video shot from people inside their cars captured the terrifying moment the aircraft plunged from the sky, before striking near the roadway and exploding. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as people milled about, expressing shock it landed only feet from homes and only inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.
It was unclear if the crash caused any damage to homes.
The crash occurred near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and urged motorists to avoid the area. Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
A woman working nearby said electricity in the area had been out for approximately two hours following the crash.
The circumstances of the crash remained under investigation.
—with files from Global News’ Sean Previl
© 2026 The Canadian Press
Source: globalnews.ca
