'Debris hit my house': Palm Beach residents recall horror as Learjet crashes near Mar-a-Lago

GREENACRES, FLORIDA: Residents of a South Florida neighborhood are recounting terrifying moments after a Learjet 60 plunged into a road in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, on Sunday, November 1, killing all nine people aboard. Witnesses described debris hitting their homes, roads engulfed in flames, and houses shaking from the impact.

The deadly crash also affected hundreds of nearby residents, with officials working to arrange emergency shelter for around 600 people who live in the area.

Residents describe terrifying moments after Learjet crash

Anthony Blackmon, who was around 500 feet from the crash site, said debris scattered across the neighborhood and even struck his home.

“Debris was everywhere. Debris hit my house. Everything was on fire. The road was on fire," Blackmon said to NBC.

He also described how difficult it was to imagine experiencing such an incident so close to home.

“I’ve always seen it on the news, never thought it would happen so close to somebody like how it happened today,” Blackmon added.

Another resident, Roger Forcelle, told the outlet that he felt the aircraft passing over his house shortly before it crashed.

“It shook the whole house. It went right over us and crashed probably less than half a mile from where I live,” Forcelle said. “Everybody came out of their houses because you could feel it shaking.”

Forcelle said he later noticed a cloud of smoke rising from the crash site. He had left home to run errands and was unable to return after the incident.

Around 600 residents affected as officials arrange emergency shelter

The crash had a wider impact on the surrounding mobile home community, displacing hundreds of people who lived near the impact site.

District 3 Commissioner Joel Flores said officials were working to ensure that approximately 600 affected residents had somewhere safe to stay on Sunday night.

“So we have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have shelter tonight,” Flores said.

Flores added that the Red Cross was standing by to provide additional assistance and services to those affected. Officials said their immediate priority was ensuring residents had access to safe accommodation.

Videos from the scene showed a massive hole in the ground following the crash, which triggered a large fire. Another witness described the aftermath as looking like “a meteor hit the ground.”

The tragedy also drew attention to the final moments of the aircraft, with air traffic control recordings capturing the crew's desperate attempts to communicate with controllers before the crash.

In the audio, a crew member was heard saying, “We're out of time,” as the aircraft rapidly descended.

The aircraft was travelling from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the disaster.