‘We’re out of time’: 9 dead as private jet crashes in fireball in Florida

A plane carrying nine people nosedived into a South Florida neighbourhood on Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss homes before crashing near a busy roadway, creating a giant fiery crater in the pavement.

It was not immediately known if anyone on the Learjet 60 or on the ground in the Palm Beach County neighbourhood was injured or killed.

The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the plane to go down or who was on it.

Jim Reynolds, a spokesman for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.

“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.

He said the tail number for the flight was N722BD.

Video shot from people inside their cars captured the terrifying moment the aircraft plunged from the sky, before striking near the roadway and exploding. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as people milled about, expressing shock it landed only feet from homes and only inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.

It was unclear if the crash caused any damage to homes.

The crash happened near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and urged motorists to avoid the area. Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

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

The circumstances of the crash remained under investigation.