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Plane Crash
Nine killed after private jet crashes and bursts into flames on Florida street
The crash occurred near Cresthaven, a neighbourhood that is less than seven miles from Trump’s resort home Mar-a-Lago.
A JET PLUMMETED into a neighbourhood in southern Florida just miles from US President Donald Trump’s resort home on Sunday, killing all nine people on board, officials said.
Several unverified clips posted to social media depicting the deadly crash showed an aircraft nearly vertical slamming at high speed into the ground, creating a large fireball and leaving a flaming crater near a busy roadside.
“Today’s plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, is a horrific tragedy,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, confirming that all nine people on the aircraft were killed.
Duffy said the plane, a Learjet 60, had departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed for the Bahamas.
The crash occurred near Cresthaven, a neighbourhood in Palm Beach County that is less than seven miles (11 kilometres) from Trump’s resort home Mar-a-Lago.
“Obviously this is a cataclysmic plane crash,” Florida governor Ron DeSantis told reporters near the scene.
“It looked like a missile going down,” he said, adding there were no reports of anyone on the ground being injured.
Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday but departed from the nearby and newly renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport shortly after he boarded Air Force One at 11.55 am (1655 GMT), about an hour before the crash of the Learjet aircraft.
The plane came down near the entrance to a mobile home park, Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said, noting about 600 residents were evacuated and relocated to shelters.
“The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate” the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Press Conference Following Today's Tragic Incident: Governor Ron DeSantis joined local officials to give an update and address the community. The crash caused significant debris, damage to surrounding infrastructure, and prompted road closures and evacuations in the adjacent community. Approximately 600 residents are being assisted with temporary shelter and other essential needs. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is asked to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at 561-688-3375. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, first responders, and everyone impacted by this tragic incident.
— PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) November 1, 2026
Storms had been reported in the area. Trump carried an umbrella as he boarded Air Force One.
In an audio recording posted to an air traffic website, someone in the cockpit can be heard reporting “moderate turbulence” and saying the crew was “managing the ice.”
The person said the plane was “picking up precipitation” and needed “to climb” shortly before saying: “Mayday, mayday, we’re descending 10,000ft per minute.”
Seconds later, the person said they were “declaring an emergency” as the plane descended 20,000ft per minute.
“We’re going to crash into the ground,” the person said, shortly before communications stopped.
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