US Transport Secretary: 9 Dead in Private Plane Crash in Florida

New York, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Sunday that nine people aboard a private plane were killed when it crashed in a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida. In a statement posted on his official X account, Duffy said the Learjet 60 crashed at around 12:50 p.m. local time near the Christhaven area, describing the incident as a “horrifying tragedy.” He noted that the aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas, and added that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would send a team to the crash site to support the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the investigation to determine the circumstances and causes. Duffy stated that the Department of Transportation and the FAA are closely monitoring the incident and will provide further information as it becomes available, expressing his condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones. For its part, the FAA clarified that the plane had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas before it crashed in a residential area near Military Trail. (End)