All nine people on board a business jet that nose-dived into a South Florida neighbourhood and erupted into a giant fireball have died.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County around lunchtime on Sunday (local time), calling it a “horrific tragedy”.

The plane appeared to just miss homes before crashing near a busy roadway, creating a giant fiery crater in the footpath.

It was not immediately known if anyone on the ground in the Palm Beach County neighbourhood – not far from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort – was injured or killed.

The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas on Sunday and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Duffy said the FAA was sending a team to support the US National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause of the crash.

The jet plunged from the sky, before hitting the roadway and exploding. Photo: AAP

Authorities did not immediately say why the plane crashed or who was aboard.

Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.

“This is definitely a tragedy,” he said.

He said the tail number for the flight was N722BD.

Video shot from people inside their cars captured the terrifying moment the aircraft plunged from the sky, before striking near the roadway and exploding.

Flames flickered around chunks of footpath lining the crater as people milled about, expressing shock it landed close to homes and passing vehicles. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.

It was unclear if the crash caused any damage to homes.

The crash occurred near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and urged drivers to avoid the area. Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene.