Learjet carrying nine people crashes in multiple fatality incident a few miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida

A small private jet aircraft carrying 9 people has crashed in a ball of flame around six miles Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

The Federal Aviation Administration stated a Learjet 60 aircraft hit the ground in a residential area of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, near Cresthaven Boulevard in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on a post on X that all nine people on board died in the crash.

The FAA said the 22-year-old Learjet 60 lost altitude from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in under a minute. There are no reports of anyone on the ground having been injured.

Footage shows a plane nosediving before exploding into the roadside (X)

Video captured from a passing car and shared on social media appears to show an airplane diving towards the ground before it impacts the side of the road in what has been declared a mass casualty incident.

Other video footage filmed from ground level apparently immediately after the crash was also shared on social media.

The footage showed people milling around the site as flames continued to burn from debris scattered around the pavement only feet from homes and passing cars.

Thick black smoke billowed into the sky from the crash site.

The aircraft is reported to have been travelling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to the Bahamas.

Spokesman for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Jim Reynolds confirmed the jet was a private aircraft but was not able to provide details on who was on the flight when it crashed.

He said, “This is definitely a tragedy.”

He confirmed the tail number for the flight was N722BD.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads leading to the site of the tragic incident and told road users to avoid the area.

A woman who spoke to The Associated Press told reporters the area had experienced an electricity cut for two hours after the crash.

Palm Beach County Fire & Rescue issued a statement from its X account: "Aircraft Incident. Military Trail between Cresthaven and 10th Avenue N closed to all traffic.

“Avoid the area. This will be an extended incident."

The investigation into the causes of the crash continue.

This is a breaking news story – more information to follow