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.