A Cuban businesswoman who owns a spa in Greenacres, Florida, revealed this Tuesday that the Learjet 60, which crashed on Sunday over Military Trail, fell just ten meters from her business, and that on that day she and her family were supposed to be there doing renovations, but the bad weather prevented them from leaving home.
The testimony was collected by Los Pichy Boys on their podcast, where the woman detailed how close she was to the tragedy that claimed the nine lives of those aboard the aircraft.
“Literally, the plane fell ten meters more to the side and was about to land on the spa. I, in fact, was supposed to be there early because we are doing some renovations at the location. Thank God the weather kept us from leaving the house, because I was going there with my mom, my dad, and my child,” recounted the Cuban woman.
When he tried to get close to the venue that same night, the authorities blocked his way. "They won't let anyone through. We went last night and couldn't even reach the spa. People are saying they won't allow anyone in for up to 72 hours," he explained.
The woman described a devastating scene at the entrance of the area: between ten and fifteen buses were taking residents away without allowing them to even collect their own vehicles. The evacuees leaving recounted what they had left behind: "They say there are human remains, many human remains, and a lot of metal parts. Since it was an explosion, parts flew out and there are broken windshields on cars because the debris hit the vehicles."
The plane crashed right at the entrance of the Green Acres Mobile Home Community, located at 3033 South Military Trail, a park with around 77 homes that is approximately fifty years old and predominantly Hispanic in composition. The entire area was turned into a crime scene, which forced authorities to evacuate between 400 and 600 residents, who were transported by buses to the Greenacres Community Center.
The commissioner of District 3 in Palm Beach, Joel Flores, confirmed to Telemundo 51 that the community was "primarily Hispanic" and that authorities were working to provide them with temporary housing, food, and rental vehicles. "Many of them work in construction and need their trucks, and that's what we're trying to help with at this moment," he stated.
Another Cuban who was close to the impact site also shared his experience on the same program. He was less than a mile from the accident, on the same Military Trail, when he saw something from a traffic light that left him frozen: "When I look in the rearview mirror, I see an explosion like that of a four-story building."
The Learjet 60 took off from Texas heading to the Bahamas when the crew reported ice accumulation and turbulence at 35,000 feet. Less than thirty seconds after requesting to climb, the aircraft began to lose altitude abruptly. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating indications that the aircraft may have fragmented in mid-flight before the impact, with debris scattered over a radius of approximately half a mile.
Cuban neighbors from the community found metallic fragments of the plane near their homes, cars, and trees. This Tuesday, the nine victims were identified, including two children aged two and four, and the co-pilot who was only twenty years old.
Commissioner Flores warned that the displaced residents might take up to two weeks to return to their homes while the investigation in the area continues.
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