At least nine people died after a private plane crashed into a busy road in Palm Beach, Florida. Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation Secretary, verified that every one of the nine individuals on the private jet perished. The crash happened not far from President Donald Trump's private residence at Mar-a-Lago.
The aircraft had left Austin, Texas, and was heading to the Bahamas when it went down. It erupted into a massive fireball upon impact with the ground. It remains unclear if any nearby homes suffered damage from the debris or fire.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke with reporters right at the crash scene. He described the event with stark clarity to those gathered. "It was a cataclysmic plane crash," DeSantis said. He added that the impact looked like a missile hitting the earth.
"It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road," DeSantis said. The plane had been flying east at 35,000 feet before trouble started. The Guardian stated that pilots encountered icing, precipitation, and turbulence while asking for a climb of 2,000 ft (about 610 meters).
Shortly after, the aircraft plunged steeply beyond its design limits. Air traffic control recordings showed the descent rate grew very fast. "A pilot declared an emergency and issued distress calls." Before crashing into the ground, the plane banked sharply to the right. Social media posts featured video recording the instant.
Weather played a major role in the tragedy on that Sunday afternoon. The Daily Mail noted that conditions in the West Palm Beach area on Sunday afternoon were poor, overcast with rain and lightning in the area and winds from the east at 15 mph, gusting to near 25 mph. The plane was speeding beyond its limits during the dive.
Secretary Duffy called the event a horrific tragedy for the families involved. "Today's plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy," Duffy said. To aid the NTSB's investigation, the FAA is dispatching a team to the site.
A federal probe has begun following the crash of the jet flying from Texas to the Bahamas. NBC News reported that the crash killed all nine people on board. Investigators will look at the flight data and weather reports to find the cause.
The NTSB team will arrive soon to examine the wreckage and data.