Private jet crash kills nine in Florida, forces community evacuation

Anthony Blackmon, a local resident, recounted witnessing the Learjet 60, estimated to be worth $2 million, descend rapidly and erupt into a fireball approximately 500 feet away. “Debris was everywhere. Debris hit my house. Everything was on fire. The road was on fire,” he stated. Another resident, Roger Forcelle, described feeling the aircraft pass over his home before the crash, noting the impact shook his entire house.

“Everybody came out of their houses because you could feel it shaking,” Forcelle said. He observed a large cloud of smoke rising from the crash site and was unable to return home.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis characterized the crash as “cataclysmic” and a “tragic way to see people pass away,” adding that it “looked like a missile going down” and left a large crater. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine individuals aboard the aircraft perished.

Remarkably, no injuries or fatalities have been reported among people on the ground. However, approximately 600 residents, including those in a neighboring mobile home park, were evacuated as a precaution. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores stated that providing shelter and food for the displaced residents is the current priority.

Air traffic control audio captured a pilot’s final words, “holy f–k, we’re out of time,” before the crash. The jet, which departed from Austin, Texas, scattered debris over a wide area.

The National Transportation Safety Board has deployed a “go-team” to investigate the crash, with investigators expected to arrive Sunday night and Monday morning.