A $2 million private jet crashed into a Florida mobile home community Sunday, causing what officials described as “cataclysmic” destruction, killing all nine people aboard and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
The Learjet 60 was traveling toward the Bahamas when it plunged from the sky and erupted in flames near the entrance of the Greenacres mobile home community at approximately 1:25 p.m. The impact carved out a large crater and scattered wreckage across the area.
Despite the scale of the crash, officials said there were no reports that anyone on the ground had been killed or injured. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and local authorities shared the update during a Sunday evening news conference.
However, the violent collision sent debris across a wide area, leading authorities to evacuate about 600 residents from a nearby community while federal investigators worked to secure the site and determine what happened.
“Obviously, this was a cataclysmic plane crash. It looked like a missile going down; it left a big crater on the side of the road,” DeSantis told reporters.
“There was a lot of debris that was spewed as a result of this crash,” the governor said. He added that, so far, officials had received no reports of people on the ground being injured or killed by the wreckage.
“But the debris was significant, and it went over a pretty significant distance,” DeSantis said.
Joel Flores, the Palm Beach County commissioner representing District 3, said officials were focused on making sure displaced residents had food and a place to stay overnight. He also warned that businesses near the crash site would likely remain closed “for the near future.”
“Right now our priority is evacuating the adjacent community right behind. We have about 600 people that we have to make sure have shelter tonight, food,” Flores said.
Flores said the crash had destroyed the community’s main entrance, forcing county officials to quickly develop alternate routes for traffic.
Disturbing dashcam footage showed the jet dropping almost vertically before striking the ground and bursting into a towering fireball surrounded by thick smoke.
“When you see that video, you know it’s a jarring thing … a massive explosion, debris going everywhere,” DeSantis said.
“And to have those people on board is really a tragic way to see people pass away. We should offer our thoughts and prayers to their family,” he added.
Audio from air traffic control captured the aircraft’s final moments, including a pilot apparently saying, “holy f–k, we’re out of time.”
Rep. Debra Tendrich said fire rescue crews arrived at the scene “immediately” and praised them for doing “an incredible job.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement to The Post that it had dispatched a “go-team,” with investigators expected to reach the crash site Sunday night and continue their work Monday morning.
AccuWeather meteorologists reported heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area at the time of the crash, with rainfall rates estimated at about 0.25 inches per hour.
“The combination of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and reduced visibility created challenging weather conditions in the area,” Alan Reppert, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said in a statement.
Reppert noted that visibility may have changed rapidly as heavier rain bands moved through, meaning conditions could have varied significantly from one moment to the next.
Authorities had not publicly released the identities of the victims as of Sunday night.
The NTSB was scheduled to provide an update on the crash during a press conference Monday morning.
