Jet may have broken apart before Florida crash, officials say, as family named among victims

Investigators believe parts of a private jet which crashed in Florida and killed all nine on board may have broken off in the air.

The Learjet 60 was bound for the Bahamas from Austin, Texas when it nosedived into a multi-lane highway and exploded on impact.

A tech entrepreneur and his young family, as well as the 20-year-old copilot, were among those who died on Sunday.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said weather conditions would be a major focus of the investigation but that it was struggling to access the wreckage due to a huge crater on the road in Palm Beach which was formed by the jet.

The plane crashed on Military Trail, a six-lane road that features businesses and restaurants, at around 12:50 local time.

"The biggest obstacle that we're going to have is recovering the major wreckage from the impacted crater on the roadway," lead investigator Tim Monville said at a news conference on Monday.

The NTSB said the crater, near the entrance to a mobile home park, was partially filled with water because of severe storms. Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms had been reported in the area at the time of the crash.

Debris was scattered across sports fields, businesses and homes in the area.

Kaynak: BBC News World RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)