Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivered stark details about a horrific plane crash near West Palm Beach Sunday, likening the impact of a falling Learjet to a missile strike after the aircraft plunged vertically into the ground in a fiery explosion that killed all nine people aboard.
“It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road,” DeSantis told reporters during a press conference with county officials. The crash site sits just miles from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
‘Cataclysmic’ Debris Field Forces Evacuations
Describing the crash as “cataclysmic,” DeSantis noted the explosion scattered debris over a wide area, though authorities reported no immediate injuries to people on the ground. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel G. Flores said approximately 600 residents were evacuated from the surrounding neighborhood overnight as investigators cordoned off the “crime scene.”
The impact created a “massive crater” that will likely keep the adjacent roadway closed for at least 30 days, Flores added. County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said officials would send an emergency declaration to DeSantis’s office.
Chilling Final Moments Captured in Mayday Call
While the cause remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, leaked air traffic control recordings captured the jet’s frantic final moments. “Mayday, mayday! We’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot shouted before a female crew member’s expletive-laden cry of “Holy f*ck, we’re out of time!” preceded the audio cutting out.
DeSantis confirmed he’s coordinating with both local agencies and federal investigators as they work to determine what caused the sudden, vertical descent. “There’s going to be more information that will come out,” he said. “They’re still doing different things.”
Source: www.thegatewaypundit.com — https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/11/video-governor-ron-desantis-holds-press-conference-following/