The wreckage of a deadly business jet crash in South Florida has upended hundreds of residents and left a massive field of debris for officials to contend with.
A Learjet 60 traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County around 12:50 p.m. ET on Nov. 1, killing all nine people on board, according to officials.
The impact of the crash left an impact crater in the ground and widespread scattered debris, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a news conference.
About 600 residents from a mobile home community in the area were evacuated from their homes and relocated to local shelters as a result of the large investigation scene, Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said. There were no reports of any injuries on the ground.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, and officials have yet to identify the victims. Here's a look at the aftermath so far.
Deadly plane crash created massive crater
DeSantis described the accident as a "cataclysmic plane crash."
"It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road," he said.
Aerial photos after the crash show the impact crater officials referenced. It appears to have shattered the roadway, dispersing concrete wreckage across the street and into a nearby patch of grass.
Military Trail, the roadway, remained closed on Nov. 2 as investigators continued efforts. Officials warned that the impacts could be prolonged.
"I don't see it open in the next 30 days," Flores said of the closure.
Crash caused explosion, fires in area: Video
The immediate impact of the crash caused a large explosion, according to videos of the incident.
Afterward, smaller scattered fires engulfed around the crash site.
Prior to the crash, the aircraft's vertical descent rate at one point exceeded 32,000 feet per minute, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
Air traffic control audio from the plane captured a person in the cockpit reporting they were encountering "moderate" turbulence and "managing the ice."
Less than a minute later, the pilot issued a mayday call, according to the recording posted by LiveATC, a website that broadcasts air traffic control communications.
"We're going to crash into the ground," they said frantically seconds later. The last cockpit transmission was: "We're out of time."
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on Instagram @bymelinakhan and TikTok @melina.khan2.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massive crater, scattered debris. Visuals show plane crash aftermath
