Private Jet plane crashes in Florida

All 9 aboard killed after plane crashes in Florida, officials say Federal agencies to investigate cause of 'horrific tragedy,' says transportation secretary A business jet carrying nine people nosedived into a South Florida neighbourhood on Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss homes before crashing near a busy roadway. All passengers on board were killed, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. Video recorded by people inside their cars captured the terrifying moment the Bahamas-bound aircraft plunged from the sky before striking near the Palm Beach County roadway and exploding. Duffy posted on X on Sunday that the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m. and called it a "horrific tragedy." The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation into the cause, he said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground injured or killed. Heavy rain in region "It was a cataclysmic plane crash," DeSantis told reporters at the scene. "It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road." Rain pounded the region on Sunday. A flood watch due to excessive rainfall was in effect through Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the FAA. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the jet to go down or who was on it. This screenshot shows a fiery crater in the aftermath of the plane crash in Palm Beach County on Sunday. (Eduin Cruz via Reuters) The plane was heading east at 35,000 feet when pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and requested to climb another 2,000 feet. Moments later, the plane entered a steep dive, first 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute and up to 30,000 feet per minute, speeding the plane beyond its design limits, according to air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data. Pilot issues distress call A pilot declared an emergency and issued distress calls. The plane banked sharply to the right before it smashed into the ground. Minutes before the crash, the pilot reported ice accumulating on the jet and turbulence that was jolting it by as much as 700 feet, according to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net. "We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence," the pilot told controllers. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the plane crash as "cataclysmic." (Saul Martinez/Getty Images) But the situation rapidly deteriorated. After encountering precipitation and requesting to climb, the pilot declared an emergency as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate. "We're descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we're descending 10,000 feet per minute," the pilot radioed. "We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute," the pilot radioed, before delivering a devastating acknowledgment of what was about to happen. "We're going to crash into the ground." 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. People gather near the scene of the crash in Greenacres on Sunday. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images) Steve Arroyo, an aviation safety expert, said icing and turbulence could have been factors in the crash and may have caused the plane to stall while it was cruising at 34,000 feet. There are many potential factors and the NTSB will consider all of them, including how the pilot responded to the icing and turbulence reported over the radio. But investigators won't rule anything out at this early stage, he said. The NTSB said investigators were expected to arrive at the crash site on Sunday and Monday. A media briefing is scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach. The crash occurred in Greenacres, Florida, according to Palm Beach County sheriff's officials. The city of 45,000 people is about 11 kilometres southwest of West Palm Beach.