A plane with nine people on board has crashed and erupted into a fiery explosion in the US.
The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to the Bahamas, CNN reported.
In one minute, the plane fell 27,000 feet before flight tracking data was cut off.
It crashed around 12.50pm local time, near the airport in Florida’s West Palm Beach between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North.
The pilot declared an emergency, issued distress calls then banked sharply to the right before crashing.
Minutes before the crash, the pilot reported ice accumulating on the jet and turbulence that was jolting it by as much as 700 feet, according to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net.
“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot told controllers.
But the situation rapidly deteriorated, with the pilot declaring an emergency as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate.
“We’re descending 8,000 - mayday, mayday - we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot radioed.
“We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute,” the pilot radioed, before delivering a devastating acknowledgement of what was about to happen.
“We’re going to crash into the ground.”
The identities of those onboard has not yet been released, and it is not clear if anyone else was injured.
According to AP, the plane just missed homes and crashed into a busy roadway, where it left a crater.
Spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport told the outlet it was a private aircraft.
“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.
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In unverified dash cam footage circulating online, a plane can be seen nosediving into the ground and erupting into a fireball.
US President Donald Trump was in West Palm Beach on Sunday but left about an hour before the crash.
While there were storms in the area at the time of the crash, it is not clear if weather contributed to the plane
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident.
More to come...
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