Learjet crashes into a Palm Beach County neighbourhood in Florida, killing all nine people on board

A Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon local time, killing all nine people on board, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. This report draws on NBC News, AP (in copy published by PBS News and NBC 6 South Florida), BBC News, WPBF, ABC News, FOX 13, Fox News and Tampa Bay 28. ## Update: weather a 'major focus' Weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation, NTSB board member Tom Chapman said on Monday, Fox News, ABC News and Tampa Bay 28 report. At 12:47pm the crew reported "light clear ice", which they called manageable, and moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet, where the outside temperature was minus 47C, ABC News reports. The crew also reported picking up precipitation and asked to change altitude, Tampa Bay 28 reports. Less than 30 seconds after being cleared to climb to 37,000 feet, the jet announced a descent and a mayday call followed. "We are in an overspeed condition, descending," the crew radioed, Chapman said, according to Fox News and ABC News. The nine aboard were seven passengers, including a family of four, and two crew, ABC News reports. "We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact," Chapman said, Tampa Bay 28 reports. The NTSB could not say whether the jet flew through a thunderstorm, and the cause has not been determined, Fox News and Tampa Bay 28 report. ## The final radio calls Minutes before the crash, a pilot told controllers: "We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence," according to recordings captured by LiveATC.net, AP reports. A pilot later radioed "mayday, mayday" and finally "We're going to crash into the ground." ## The crash The jet came down at about 12:50pm (4:20am ACDT Monday) on Military Trail, a six-lane road, near the Cresthaven neighbourhood, according to NBC News and the BBC; sheriff's officials placed it in Greenacres, AP reports. It had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas bound for the Bahamas. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said: "It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road," AP reports. One person in a vehicle nearby suffered a leg injury, FOX 13 reports, and about 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were evacuated, AP, NBC News and the BBC report.