Florida jet crash that killed 9 opens huge crater in road

All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 that crashed near a mobile home park in Florida, United States, died. The crash created a large crater on Military Trail, and about 600 people are being evacuated.

All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 private jet that crashed onto a road Sunday near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, died. Footage from the crash site shows a deep crater on Military Trail, where the jet struck, with flames still burning amid the shattered asphalt.

The footage shows the crater stretching from one side of the road to the other, while local residents gathered at the edge of the hole.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the jet's crash during a rain-soaked news conference near the site, saying, "It was like a missile coming down, then there was a huge explosion and debris was scattered everywhere." DeSantis said the way the aircraft descended suggested that it had experienced a serious problem in the air. No deaths or injuries on the ground were reported.

Palm Beach County Council Member Joel Flores said about 600 people living in the mobile home park immediately beside the wreckage had been temporarily relocated. Flores said, "There is a massive crater on Military Trail, and repairs will take time," adding that the road's southbound lanes could remain closed for at least 30 days. The county administration prepared two shelters for those evacuated.

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the jet was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom Airport in Texas to the Bahamas and entered a dive at a speed of about 107 meters per second before hitting the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash.