At least nine people are feared dead after a $2 million private jet crashed into a mobile home park in South Florida on Sunday, Nov. 1, causing a massive fireball and reportedly destroying at least one trailer.
The Learjet 60 was carrying nine people from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed.
Authorities reported multiple fatalities but had not yet confirmed the total number of people killed or injured, including anyone who may have been inside the mobile homes.
The chartered aircraft reportedly clipped a tree and brought down power lines before crashing. According to reports, the jet made a sharp right turn before plunging from an altitude of around 8,000 feet toward the ground.
The crash happened shortly after 1 p.m. local time. One witness described the deafening noise by saying it “sounded like a missile.”
Dashcam footage captured the aircraft striking the ground, followed by an enormous fireball. Videos and images from the scene showed thick black smoke rising above the neighborhood, flames spreading across the crash site and debris scattered around a large crater. Wreckage from both the aircraft and a mobile home could also be seen.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue described the incident as a “mass casualty incident,” but did not immediately provide further details about the number of victims or the extent of damage to nearby homes.
The crash prompted emergency crews and law enforcement officers to respond to the residential area. Several roads around the scene were closed, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office urged drivers to avoid the area until further notice.
Greenacres is a community with numerous modular and mobile homes located just outside Palm Springs, Florida.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the victims or confirmed whether anyone on the ground was among those killed. The cause of the crash also remains unknown as the investigation continues.
