All nine people aboard a commercial airliner that crashed in a Florida neighborhood on Sunday have died, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. The plane burst into a huge fireball that appeared to miss homes before crashing near a busy highway. Duffy posted on X on Sunday that the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m., calling it a “horrible tragedy.” The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause, he said. The plane had left 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 plane to go down or who was on it. Airport spokesman Jim Reynolds said it was a private plane. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight. “This is definitely a tragedy,” he said. He said the flight’s tail number was N722BD. Video recorded from people inside their cars captured the terrifying moment the plane plummeted from the sky, before crashing near the road and exploding. Flames flickered around patches of pavement lining the crater as people milled about, expressing surprise that it landed just a few feet from houses and just inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke enveloped the crash site. It was unclear if the accident caused any damage to the homes. The accident 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 responded to the scene. A woman working nearby said power in the area had been out for about two hours after the accident. The circumstances of the accident remained under investigation.
