Palm beach county: A business jet crash in Florida killed all 9 people on board after the aircraft struck a residential neighbourhood near Cresthaven, around 14 kilometres from Donald Trump, President of United States Mar-a-Lago resort.
The crash occurred at approximately on November 1. The impact left a crater in the middle of a residential road. Images from the scene showed patches of fire along with scattered concrete fragments and debris from the aircraft. The plane was identified as a Learjet 60.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that the aircraft departed from Austin, Texas, and was heading to the Bahamas when the crash occurred. The incident prompted an emergency response from local authorities and fire rescue teams. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass casualty incident following the crash.
The impact caused considerable damage to local infrastructure. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reported damage to water lines and other facilities in the affected area. Authorities indicated that repairs and recovery work would take time. The damaged road is expected to remain closed for at least 30 days.
Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary described the incident as a serious tragedy and confirmed that the FAA would send a team to the scene. The team will assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) with the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. Duffy also expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed.
The crash occurred approximately 9 miles (14 kilometres) from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach County. Trump spent November 1 at the resort before departing from a nearby airport aboard Air Force One. The aircraft left the airport around an hour before the business jet crash.
Weather conditions in the area may also form part of the investigation. Thunderstorms were reported around the time of the incident, while heavy rain continued during the news conference held after the crash. Investigators are expected to examine the available evidence to establish what led to the aircraft striking the residential area.
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