By Staff, Agencies

A private business jet carrying nine people crashed into a residential neighborhood near Cresthaven, Florida, on Sunday, killing everyone on board, according to US authorities.

The Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas before crashing at approximately 12:50 p.m. local time [1850 GMT], the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] reported.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities, describing the incident as a horrific tragedy.

“Today’s plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy,” Duffy said.

The crash site is located just a few kilometers from US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue announced the incident through a statement on the social media platform X, urging residents and members of the public to stay away from the area as emergency operations continued.

“Aircraft Incident,” the agency stated, warning that the response would be an extended operation.

The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office subsequently closed all northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10^th Avenue North to secure the crash site and allow emergency responders to carry out their duties.

The National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB], the independent federal agency responsible for investigating civil transportation accidents across the United States, will lead the investigation in coordination with the FAA.

Authorities have not yet determined the circumstances that led to the aircraft’s crash, and the investigation is expected to examine the events surrounding the incident.