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

A Learjet 60 crashed on Sunday, November 1, 2026, near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft, registration N722BD, had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

Air traffic control recordings captured the final minutes. The crew reported moderate turbulence, ice accumulation, and an outside temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius while at cruise. They requested a climb. Shortly after, the pilot declared a mayday, stating the jet was descending at 10,000 feet per minute and then 20,000 feet per minute in an overspeed condition. The last transmission was "We're out of time." Flight-tracking data showed the jet dropping roughly 27,000 feet in about one minute before impact.

The plane struck near a mobile-home community and a strip mall, leaving a large crater and scattering burning debris. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called it a "cataclysmic plane crash" that "looked like a missile going down." No one on the ground was injured. Palm Beach County officials evacuated about 600 residents from the area to temporary shelters. John I. Leonard High School closed the next day.

The National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the flight path and fatalities. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the event as a horrific tragedy. The aircraft, a 2004 Bombardier Learjet 60, was registered to LR60271 LLC, a Delaware corporation. One pilot was identified as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras of Boca Raton. Other passengers have not been named publicly.

Dashcam video from a nearby vehicle showed the jet in a near-vertical dive before the fireball. First responders from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the Sheriff's Office secured the site quickly. The crash occurred roughly nine miles from Mar-a-Lago. Investigators are examining the role of icing, possible structural damage from turbulence, and the rapid loss of control. Similar Learjet incidents have involved stabilizer icing or control-system failures, but the NTSB has not issued a preliminary cause.

Bombardier, the manufacturer, said it would support the investigation. The aircraft had flown from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Austin the previous day. Weather at the time included precipitation and moderate turbulence at altitude. The descent rate exceeded 30,000 feet per minute at points, according to ADS-B data reviewed by tracking sites.

Local officials set up two shelters. Debris forced the closure of Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. The crater remained visible into Monday as crews cleared the roadway. Families of those on board have begun to be notified. The NTSB go-team is expected to release a preliminary report in the coming days, followed by a fuller factual investigation that typically takes months.

The crash is the deadliest U.S. business-jet accident in several years. It occurs against a backdrop of ongoing reviews of high-altitude icing risks for older Learjet models. Residents near the site described hearing the roar and seeing the fireball from blocks away. Cleanup continued Monday under gray skies with residual smoke.