Learjet crashes and erupts into flames in Florida, killing all 9 on board

A Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing everyone on board and leaving a deep crater and burning wreckage near homes and businesses, officials said. Video from a passing vehicle showed the jet striking nose-first on a busy roadway, followed by a fireball. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called it a “cataclysmic plane crash.” There were no immediate reports of injuries on the ground. Air-traffic control audio captured the pilot reporting ice accumulation with the outside air temperature at -47°C and moderate turbulence that bounced the aircraft up to 700 feet. Moments later, the pilot issued repeated Mayday calls as the descent rate accelerated, and ADS-B data shows the jet descending 27,000 feet before tracking stopped. Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are expected to brief Monday.