Pilot's last words before jet crashes in Florida, killing all nine on board

A business jet has crashed in a Florida neighbourhood killing all nine people on board.

The crash took place in the city of Greenacres, according to Palm Beach County sheriff's officials.

The Learjet aircraft erupted into a massive fireball in a residential area at around 12.50pm local time (5.50pm UK time).

Transportation secretary Sean Duffy confirmed all nine on board had died, calling it a "horrific tragedy".

He said: "Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost."

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The plane had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground injured or killed.

The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

"It was a cataclysmic plane crash," Mr DeSantis told reporters at the scene. "It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road."

He said there was a lot of debris scattered over a "significant distance".

Images also showed damage to a section of the road and flames on the ground.

In footage of the crash, the aircraft can be seen nose-diving and erupting into a giant fireball near a major roadway just inches from passing vehicles, appearing to narrowly miss homes.

The plane was making its way east at 35,000ft when pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and requested to climb another 2,000ft.

Moments later, the jet entered a steep dive, speeding it beyond its design limits, according to air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data.

"We're descending 8,000 - mayday, mayday - we're descending 10,000ft per minute," the pilot radioed.

"We're going to crash into the ground."

About 35 seconds after the initial mayday announcement, the last ​thing heard from the cockpit was "we're out of time".

Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said the jet was a private plane, but could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.

Rain pounded the region on Sunday and a flood watch was in effect through Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

A woman working nearby said electricity in the area had been out for around two hours following the crash.

Palm Beach County authorities were evacuating around 600 people from a nearby mobile home community while federal officials investigate the incident. The road will be shut until further notice, county officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation, Mr Duffy said.

(c) Sky News 2026: Pilot's last words before jet crashes in Florida, killing all nine on board