Nine Killed as Learjet Crashes Near Trump’s Mar‑A‑Lago Resort

Nine people died when a Learjet 60 crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Greenacres, Florida, just kilometres from President Donald Trump's Mar‑A‑Lago resort. The aircraft hit the ground near Cresthaven at a steep angle, creating a large fireball and a flaming crater beside a busy road. All nine occupants were killed, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. The jet had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas. Storms were reported in the area at the time of the accident. No emergency call from the pilot was reported and investigators have not yet released a cause. The crash site is less than 11 km from Mar‑A‑Lago. President Trump had been at his Mar‑A‑Lago estate on Sunday and left on Air Force One from the newly renamed President Donald J Trump International Airport at 11:55 am, about an hour before the jet went down. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.

Context

A Learjet 60 is a small private business jet often used for short‑range flights. The FAA and NTSB routinely investigate all serious aviation accidents in the United States.