A jet crashed in Palm Beach, Florida, near Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, resulting in the deaths of nine people.
According to reports from CNN and other outlets, a small business jet, a Learjet 60, crashed around 1 p.m. local time on November 1 while en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
All nine individuals on board were killed, and nearby homes and businesses sustained damage. However, authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the victims.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed condolences, stating, "The plane crash in Palm Beach County today was a terrible tragedy." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a "catastrophic plane crash," adding that it looked "like a missile had fallen."
Notably, the crash site is less than seven miles (approximately 11 kilometers) from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, making it a 10-minute drive away. The site is also close to Donald Trump International Airport.
Trump was reported to have departed from Donald Trump International Airport aboard Air Force One around 11:55 a.m., approximately one hour before the crash.
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation, but prior to the incident, the pilot reported ice accumulation on the aircraft. The pilot later declared a "Mayday, Mayday" to the Miami Air Traffic Control Center, stating, "We are descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute."
Communications obtained by the aviation communication site LiveATC indicated that the outside temperature at the time of the crash was minus 47 degrees Celsius, and the aircraft was experiencing turbulence, causing it to bounce up to 700 feet.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), this incident marks the second deadliest aviation accident in the U.S. this year, following a June skydiving plane crash in Missouri that resulted in 12 fatalities.
Additionally, data from the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) indicates that this crash is the worst incident involving a Learjet 60, surpassing a 2008 crash in which a Learjet 60 crashed shortly after takeoff from Columbia, South Carolina, killing four people.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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