Nine Killed as Private Jet Crashes in Residential Area in Florida

All nine people aboard a private jet were killed when the aircraft crashed in a residential area near Cresthaven in Florida, the United States, on Sunday afternoon. The crash site is located just a few kilometres from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported on Monday that the Learjet 60 aircraft had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

The aircraft crashed at around 12:50pm local time on Sunday (18:50 GMT).

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths of all nine people aboard, describing the incident as a tragic aviation disaster in Palm Beach County, Florida.

In a post on social media platform X, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department referred to the incident as an aircraft crash and urged members of the public to avoid the area.

The department warned that rescue and emergency response operations could continue for an extended period.

To secure the crash site and facilitate rescue operations, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office closed all northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail, from Cresthaven Boulevard to 10th Avenue North, until further notice.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.

The independent federal agency, which investigates accidents and major incidents involving civil transportation, will conduct the investigation in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Authorities have yet to determine what caused the aircraft to crash.