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All nine people on board a Learjet 60 jet died in a “cataclysmic” crash in Florida on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
The flight, which departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, crashed near Cresthaven, a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, around 12:50 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine people on the flight died. He called the crash a “horrific tragedy” on social media, adding, “Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost.”
The co-pilot was identified by her father as Nathalia Filgueiras, 20.
Her sister Giulia Filgueiras said Nathalia learned to fly from her father, who is a pilot.
“Flying was her biggest passion,” Giulia Filgueiras said. “That was her dream to become a pilot since she was very young.”
The identities of the other people on board have not been released.
Video captured on a car’s dashcam showed the moment the jet nose-dived into a roadway at high speed, resulting in a fiery explosion. Plumes of fire and smoke billowed from the site of impact.
Another video of the aftermath showed a crater in the middle of a road engulfed in flames.
In distressing air traffic control audio, a woman says: “Mayday, mayday. We’re descending 10,000 feet per minute.”
She later frantically yells, saying the jet was descending at 20,000 feet per minute.
“We’re gonna crash into the ground 722 Bravo Delta,” she can be heard saying, followed by a scream.
Only about two minutes earlier, she had reported experiencing “light, clear ice” but said it was “manageable,” and she described “moderate turbulence.” She later reported, “We’re picking up precipitation,” and asked to climb in altitude.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the crash as “cataclysmic.”
“It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road,” DeSantis told reporters after the crash.
He said that the crash spewed a large amount of debris that spanned a “pretty significant distance” but that there were no reports anyone on the ground was injured or killed.
Area resident Anthony Blackmon told NBC South Florida that he was about 500 feet away when the plane went down.
“Debris was everywhere. Debris hit my house. Everything was on fire. The road was on fire,” Blackmon said.
The aircraft is registered to a limited liability company in Delaware, according to FAA records.
Learjet manufacturer Bombardier said in a statement that the company is “deeply saddened by this tragic event and extend our sincerest sympathies to all those affected.”
“We cannot comment on the potential cause of this accident until the investigation is complete and we will fully support the investigating authorities and cooperate as needed,” Bombardier said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
A flood watch was in effect Sunday for southern Florida, with numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms forecast to continue through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said an aircraft incident was under investigation in the area of Military Trail, and all northbound and southbound lanes were closed until further notice.
Residents of a mobile home park near the wreckage site were being evacuated, said Joel Flores, commissioner for Palm Beach County’s 3rd District.
“We have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have shelter tonight,” he said.
Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.
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