Aircraft crashes in residential area of Florida, killing all 9 on board

A private business jet carrying nine people crashed into a residential neighborhood near Cresthaven, Florida, on Sunday, killing all those on board.

The Learjet 60 departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas before coming down at approximately 12.50 pm local time (1850GMT), said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"Today's plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy," said US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, confirming the deaths.

The crash site is located a few kilometers from US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

"Aircraft Incident," Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said on the US social media platform X, cautioning the public to "avoid the area. This will be an extended incident."

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office closed all northbound and southbound lanes along Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North until further notice to secure the area and allow emergency personnel to operate.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent US federal agency charged with investigating civil transportation accidents and significant incidents across the country, will lead the inquiry alongside the FAA.

Authorities have not established what caused the aircraft to go down.