Medevac Learjet 35 Crashes Off Florida Coast

A medevac Learjet bound for Mexico crashed in the ocean about a mile offshore minutes after departing Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday night. Officials said two people on board have been confirmed killed and a Coast Guard search continues for two others.

An airport spokesman told media outlets that the Learjet 35 was returning to Cozumel, Mexico, with two pilots, a doctor and a nurse after dropping a patient in Fort Lauderdale.

The pilot reportedly radioed mayday and asked to return to Fort Lauderdale shortly after takeoff. He had turned 180 degrees back to the field before disappearing off radar off the Florida coast, according to news sources. The NTSB is investigating.

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