‘We're descending 10,000 feet/minute’: A blow-by-blow account of Florida jet crash that killed 9 | Hindustan Times

A private Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed into a neighbourhood in southern Florida on Sunday and burst into flames, narrowly missing homes near a busy road. Everyone on board was killed, US transportation secretary Sean Duffy said.

A fireball rises into the sky after a Learjet crashed in a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, US. (REUTERS)People in nearby cars filmed the aircraft falling from the sky before it hit the ground near a Palm Beach County road and exploded. Thick black smoke covered the crash site.

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The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. Authorities have not released the identities of the nine victims. The cause of the crash remains unknown.

Steve Arroyo, an aviation safety expert, told news agency AP that icing and turbulence could have contributed to the crash. He said they may have caused the jet to stall while cruising at 34,000 feet (10,363 metres).

Arroyo said investigators would examine several possible factors, including how the pilot responded to the icing and turbulence reported over the radio. He added that the NTSB would not rule anything out at this early stage.

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