On a stormy Sunday just before one in the afternoon, a Learjet traveling from Austin, Texas toward the Bahamas came down in a mobile-home park in Greenacres, Florida, and every one of the nine people aboard was lost. It is the kind of sudden collision between a long journey and an ordinary neighborhood that reminds us how thin the line can be between the sky's routes and the places where people sleep and tend their gardens. Hundreds of residents now wait in county shelters while federal investigators take up the harder question of why it happened, a question the wreckage alone has not yet answ
Learjet Crash Near Greenacres Kills Nine; DeSantis Calls It 'Cataclysmic' as 600 Residents Are Evacuated
All nine people aboard the Learjet were killed, and about 600 residents living next to the crash site were evacuated to county shelters.
"It looked like a missile going down."
Mark
Nine people died, but the governor stressed that nobody on the ground was hurt. Why does that matter so much?
Mimi
Because the plane hit a mobile-home park. As of Sunday afternoon there were no reports of ground deaths or injuries, which is striking given where it landed.
Luke
Careful, though. "No reports" as of Sunday afternoon is not the same as confirmed none. That's the governor's statement at an early stage.
Mark
And the 600 evacuees?
Mimi
They live in a community next to the site and couldn't stay Sunday night while the FAA investigates. They go to one of two county shelters.
Luke
We don't know how long they'll be out. The source says only until they can return.
Mark
What about the cause? There were storms.
Mimi
Gusts near 25 mph and some lightning, yes. But that's the conditions, not a finding.
Luke
Right. Nothing in the reporting ties the weather to the crash. Investigators haven't said anything yet.
Mark
Do we know who was aboard?
Mimi
Not yet. The FAA hadn't identified anyone as of 7 p.m. Sunday. The flight was Austin to the Bahamas.
Luke
And the 30-day road closure is Commissioner Flores's expectation, not an official schedule.
Il Polso
- A Learjet bound for the Bahamas fell into a mobile-home park near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard, and all nine aboard were killed.
- Debris spread across a wide radius as storms with gusty winds and lightning swept South Florida.
- About 600 neighbors were moved out of their homes and sent to two county shelters with no timeline yet for returning.
- A massive crater has torn into Military Trail, and officials say the southbound lanes may stay closed for at least 30 days.
- FAA investigators were due Sunday night, and the cause of the crash is still unknown.
On a stormy Sunday just before one in the afternoon, a Learjet traveling from Austin, Texas toward the Bahamas came down in a mobile-home park in Greenacres, Florida, and every one of the nine people aboard was lost. It is the kind of sudden collision between a long journey and an ordinary neighborhood that reminds us how thin the line can be between the sky's routes and the places where people sleep and tend their gardens. Hundreds of residents now wait in county shelters while federal investigators take up the harder question of why it happened, a question the wreckage alone has not yet answered.
At about 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, a Learjet came down in a mobile-home park near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard in Greenacres, Florida. The aircraft had left Austin, Texas, bound for the Bahamas, and all nine people on board were killed. Afternoon storms with gusts and lightning were moving across South Florida at the time.
Gov. Ron DeSantis called it a cataclysmic crash and said debris covered a large area. As of Sunday afternoon, no one on the ground had been reported killed or injured, a fact officials noted with relief given that the plane fell into a residential community.
About 600 residents living beside the site were evacuated to county shelters, where they will stay until it is safe to return. County Commissioner Joel Flores described a massive crater along Military Trail and said he could not imagine the southbound lanes reopening within 30 days. County Administrator Joe Abruzzo said the county would request an emergency declaration to help manage the aftermath. Federal aviation investigators were expected Sunday night, and the cause of the crash remains for them to determine.
At about 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, a Learjet came down in a mobile-home park near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard in Greenacres, Florida. All nine people aboard were killed. Afternoon storms were moving across South Florida at the time, with wind gusts near 25 mph and patches of lightning.
The jet had left Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas. As of 7 p.m. Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration had not identified anyone on board.
Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke near the scene and called it a "cataclysmic plane crash," adding that it "looked like a missile going down." He said debris from the wreckage covered a huge radius. As of Sunday afternoon, he said, there were no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured, a notable detail given that the aircraft came down in a residential community.
Federal aviation officials were expected to arrive in Palm Beach County as early as Sunday night to begin investigating. The crash occurred during stormy weather, but the source material does not say what caused it, and that question now belongs to the federal investigators.
The immediate disruption to the neighborhood has been large. County Commissioner Joel Flores, who represents the Palm Springs area, said his first concern was evacuating about 600 people who live in a community next to the crash site. They could not remain there Sunday night while the FAA conducted its investigation. Those residents were to go to one of two county shelters and stay until they could return home.
Flores also described what the crash did to Military Trail: it left a "massive crater" in the ground along the road. He said he could not imagine the road reopening to southbound traffic within the next 30 days.
County Administrator Joe Abruzzo, who appeared with DeSantis at the news conference, said the county would submit an emergency declaration to the governor to help manage the aftermath. DeSantis, Flores and Abruzzo each praised the first responders who worked at the scene.
What comes next is the federal investigation, the identification of the nine people killed, the timeline for residents to return home, and the long closure of a major road.
Citazioni salienti
A cataclysmic plane crash. It looked like a missile going down.— Gov. Ron DeSantis
Flores said the crash left a massive crater along Military Trail and he can't imagine southbound lanes reopening within 30 days.— County Commissioner Joel Flores
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