Learjet 60 Crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida, Killing All Nine People Aboard

A Learjet 60 crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, 1 November, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The crash occurred around 12:50 p.m. local time near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in the Greenacres and Cresthaven area, a few miles south of President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The plane descended from roughly 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute before impact, according to FAA data. Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot reporting light clear ice that was manageable, moderate turbulence and an outside air temperature of -47 degrees Celsius. Moments later the pilot declared a mayday, stating the aircraft was in an overspeed condition and descending at 20,000 feet per minute. The final transmission ended with the pilot saying they were out of time.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the descent as looking “like a missile going down” and called the crash cataclysmic. He said there were no reports of deaths or injuries on the ground. The impact created a crater and a wide debris field that blocked the entrance to a mobile-home park. Approximately 600 residents were displaced and directed to county shelters because they could not remain in the area. Military Trail was closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North to all but emergency vehicles.

The aircraft was a 2004 Learjet 60 registered N722BD to a Delaware limited-liability company. The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation and is sending a go-team; a media briefing is scheduled in West Palm Beach. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a horrific tragedy and confirmed that all nine occupants were killed. Officials have not yet released the names of those on board or stated how many were crew versus passengers. The jet was listed as available for charter.

Videos circulating online show the aircraft in a near-vertical dive striking the ground and erupting in a fireball. Afternoon storms were present over South Florida at the time, with wind gusts near 25 mph and patches of lightning. The NTSB will lead the investigation with FAA support. Palm Beach County officials said they would seek an emergency declaration to assist with the aftermath.

This is the second-deadliest aviation accident in the United States this year according to NTSB records, after a June skydiving plane crash in Missouri that killed 12. The rapid descent, the pilot’s report of overspeed, and the preceding mention of icing and turbulence are among the elements investigators will examine. No cause has been determined. Families of the victims have not been identified publicly, and authorities have asked the public to avoid the crash site while recovery and documentation continue.