Learjet 60 Crashes in Palm Beach County, Killing All Nine on Board

The crash and immediate facts

A Bombardier Learjet 60 registered N722BD crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The aircraft struck the ground near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in the Greenacres and Cresthaven area, leaving a large crater and erupting in flames. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people on board were killed. Officials reported no casualties on the ground.

The jet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. FAA records list the 2004-built aircraft as owned by LR60271 LLC, a Delaware corporation. The NTSB is leading the investigation, with FAA support. A go-team arrived at the site, and a media briefing was scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach.

Final radio transmissions

Air traffic control recordings captured the sequence. While the aircraft was at roughly 35,000 feet, a pilot reported managing light clear ice, moderate turbulence, and precipitation, and asked about better altitudes ahead. The crew received clearance to climb. Moments later, the pilot declared a mayday, stating the plane was descending at 10,000 feet per minute and then 20,000 feet per minute in an overspeed condition. The last transmission included the words "We're going to crash into the ground" and "We're out of time." Flight tracking data showed a vertical descent rate exceeding 32,000 feet per minute at one point. The aircraft lost tens of thousands of feet in roughly a minute before impact.

Dashcam video from vehicles on the road recorded the final seconds of the near-vertical dive and the fireball on impact. The crash site is near a mobile home community. Local authorities indicated that hundreds of residents might need temporary relocation during the investigation and cleanup.

Aircraft and operator details

The Learjet 60 is a midsize business jet powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A engines. Serial number 271 was built in 2004. The registered owner address is a registered-agent office in Wilmington, Delaware, a common arrangement that does not identify the actual operators or passengers. Bombardier stated it would support the investigation.

Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash as cataclysmic. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores noted the massive crater near the entrance to a mobile home park. First responders contained the fires. The site is several miles south of the airport formerly known as Palm Beach International and roughly nine miles from Mar-a-Lago.

Investigation focus

Investigators will examine the wreckage, flight data if recoverable, cockpit voice recorder information, maintenance records, weather conditions, and pilot qualifications. The pilot's reports of icing and turbulence immediately before the loss of control are documented in the ATC recordings. The cause remains under investigation; no determination has been released.

The incident is the latest in a series of business jet accidents under NTSB review. The rapid descent from cruise altitude and the overspeed condition reported by the crew will form a central part of the factual record. Families of the nine people aboard have not yet been publicly identified in initial statements.