Learjet 60 Breaks Up in Flight Before Crashing in Palm Beach County, Killing All Nine Aboard

On November 1, 2026, a Learjet 60 business jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at approximately 10:37 a.m. Eastern Time bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Roughly two hours later, the aircraft entered a steep descent and struck the ground on Military Trail near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida, at about 12:50 p.m. local time. All nine occupants died. One person on the ground suffered a leg injury.

National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said on November 2 that investigators have evidence the aircraft began breaking up before impact. Parts of the plane are expected to be found some distance from the main wreckage. The crew had reported light clear icing and moderate turbulence at altitude minutes before the mayday call. Controllers heard the pilots report an overspeed condition with a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute and the statement “We’re going to crash into the ground.” The final radio transmission recorded “We’re out of time.”

The co-pilot was identified by her family as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras of Boca Raton. She earned her pilot’s license at age 17 and had logged more than 1,300 flight hours. She graduated from American Flyers and held the rating to fly the Learjet 60, though not as pilot in command. Her mother, Camila Gadelha Corteleti, told reporters her daughter was responsible and hardworking and that flying gave her a sense of freedom. The identities of the captain and the seven passengers have not yet been released by authorities. Media reports have named Texas-based tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen, their two young children, the children’s nanny, and two friends among those aboard.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the impact as looking like a missile. The crash left a crater in the roadway and ignited a large fireball. Approximately 600 residents of a nearby mobile home park were evacuated. Officials said the road may remain closed for at least 30 days. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. A preliminary report is typically issued within about a month; a final determination of cause often takes a year or longer.

The flight was a paid charter operated by Aurora Jet. The aircraft’s tail number is N722BD. The crash is among the deadliest involving a Learjet 60. In 2008, four people died when another Learjet 60 crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. Investigators are examining the role of icing, turbulence, and the in-flight breakup. No mechanical findings have been released.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on social media that all nine people aboard died. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and federal teams continue recovery and documentation work at the site. The incident has prompted reviews of weather reporting and pilot decision-making on the route that day.

The loss of the young co-pilot has drawn particular attention because of her age and the rapid accumulation of flight time. Aviation safety records show that high-performance business jets require precise handling in icing conditions. The NTSB has not indicated whether the crew’s response to the reported icing contributed to the sequence that ended in structural failure.

Local officials are assisting the displaced residents and coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB. The precise sequence of structural failure and the identities of the remaining occupants remain open questions for the investigation.