A Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed in a residential area of Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday, 1 November, prompting a major emergency response and an investigation by federal aviation authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the jet was flying from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to the Bahamas. CNN reported that the crash happened near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, in Palm Beach County. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Fatalities and response
The full casualty toll had not been confirmed in the reports available. The New York Post reported that authorities had described multiple fatalities, but said the number was unclear and it was not known whether anyone on the ground was among them. Beinsure reported that Palm Beach County Fire Rescue classified the incident as a mass-casualty emergency. The FAA confirmed nine people were aboard; available reports did not establish whether anyone survived.
The crash triggered a fire and damaged property in the residential area, according to the New York Post. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North were closed, CNN reported, with motorists urged to avoid the area.
Investigation underway
CNN said flight-tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed the aircraft descended about 27,000 feet in roughly one minute before the tracking data ended. That information does not establish what caused the crash. The FAA and NTSB are investigating, and no cause had been announced in the reports.
The Associated Press, in a report carried by Newsday, also reported that the Bahamas-bound Learjet departed Austin and crashed in a Florida neighbourhood, while noting that injuries on the ground and possible survivors had not been confirmed.
Leave a Reply