A Learjet 60 crashed near Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday while flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The business jet descended sharply onto a boulevard at around 12:50 p.m. local time and was completely destroyed on impact, leaving a large, smoking crater.
All nine people on board were killed, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who described the incident as a “horrible tragedy.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called it a “cataclysmic accident.”
Preliminary information from radio communications between the cockpit and Miami air traffic control indicates that the co-pilot warned the tower about unusual weather conditions during the flight. She reportedly asked whether the aircraft could climb to 37,000 feet, or about 10,000 meters, apparently seeking to fly above the weather.
The co-pilot later issued an emergency signal. The available exchanges provide information about the aircraft’s final minutes, but the precise cause of the crash involving the aircraft registered as N722BD remains undetermined.
Sources: Le Figaro.