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

A Learjet 60 crashed in a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing all nine people on board.

The aircraft, registered N722BD, had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It crashed near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in the Greenacres and Cresthaven area around 12:50 p.m. local time, roughly nine miles from Mar-a-Lago.

Air traffic control recordings captured the final moments. The crew reported light clear ice, moderate turbulence and precipitation while at 35,000 feet. They requested a climb to 37,000 feet for a better ride. Shortly afterward the pilot declared a mayday, stating the aircraft was in an overspeed condition descending at 20,000 feet per minute. Flight tracking data showed the descent from cruise altitude to impact took roughly 77 seconds.

The National Transportation Safety Board launched a go-team to investigate. The Federal Aviation Administration is supporting the inquiry. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a horrific tragedy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the descent as looking like a missile going down and said the impact created a significant debris field and crater. No deaths or injuries were reported on the ground, though the crash blocked the entrance to a mobile home park and left about 600 residents needing temporary shelter.

The aircraft was a 22-year-old Learjet 60. Officials have not yet released the names of the occupants or said how many were crew versus passengers. The crash is the second-deadliest in the United States this year, after a skydiving plane crash in Missouri in June that killed 12.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office closed Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North to all but emergency vehicles. Videos showed the jet in a steep dive before impact and a large fireball. Debris and fire covered a stretch of road. The NTSB is expected to hold a media briefing in West Palm Beach.

The owner is listed in FAA records as a Delaware corporation. Investigators will examine the aircraft's maintenance history, weather conditions at altitude, and the sequence of events after the crew reported icing. The rapid transition from level flight at 35,000 feet to a near-vertical descent is a central focus of the early inquiry.

Local fire and police units secured the site Sunday evening. Federal investigators arrived overnight. The precise cause remains under investigation. Families of those on board have not yet been publicly identified.