At least 9 people are dead after a business jet flying out of Austin crashed in a Florida neighborhood, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Learjet 60 took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport headed for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas and crashed around 12:50 p.m. in Palm Beach County, Florida. Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause.
At a news conference near the scene, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the crash left a large crater and scattered debris across a wide area. Officials had no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured, he said. DeSantis praised Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies and fire rescue crews for their response.
Video from our sister station WPEC CBS 12 showed flames and thick smoke rising above the roadway, with broken pavement and debris nearby. The FAA’s aircraft registry lists the jet as registered to LR60271 LLC, with an address in Wilmington, Delaware.
Austin-Bergstrom told CBS Austin the aircraft departed from AUS and said it was a general aviation flight, not a commercial flight. The airport said it does not have access to information about the passengers and crew, the aircraft’s history, its ownership or its operator. The airport also extended its thoughts to everyone affected by the tragedy.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the investigation. The cause of the crash has not been determined.
This is a developing story.