Fatal Descent: Nine Killed as Learjet 60 Plunges into Palm Beach County Neighborhood

Nine people died when a Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, 2026. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities, stating that all nine individuals on board were killed. The aircraft was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the crash occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The jet struck the ground near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, in the city of Greenacres.

Greenacres is roughly seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach, and the crash site is about four miles south of the airport in West Palm Beach, which was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport earlier this year. Officials have not yet released the names of the victims or the specific breakdown of passengers and crew. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, identified the aircraft as a private jet. He stated that he could not say who was on the flight. Reynolds described the incident as a definite tragedy.

The timeline of the flight comes from air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data. The jet was cruising east at approximately 35,000 feet. Pilots reported encountering turbulence, icing, and precipitation. They requested permission to climb 2,000 feet. Air traffic control recordings indicate the pilot reported light, clear ice that was manageable and moderate turbulence. The pilot also noted an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. Turbulence was causing the aircraft to bounce by as much as 700 feet.

The situation changed abruptly after the pilots reported precipitation. The pilot radioed that the aircraft was descending 8,000, then called mayday and reported a descent of 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot later stated the jet was in an overspeed condition and descending at 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot then said, "We're going to crash into the ground." CBS News reported that the pilot also said, "We're out of time." The descent rate peaked at 30,000 feet per minute, exceeding the aircraft's design limits. The plane banked sharply to the right before impacting the ground at a steep angle.

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed the jet dropped 27,000 feet in about one minute before the data signal cut off. The FAA stated the aircraft fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in a single minute prior to the crash. The aircraft passed through a stronger storm cell shortly before the descent began. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET for the area, a warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. Whether the weather played a part has not been determined. Heavy rain fell across the region on Sunday, and a flood watch was in effect through Monday afternoon.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and described the impact to reporters. He said the crash looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road. DeSantis stated that people would recognize the event as a major tragedy. He noted that there were no reports of ground fatalities or injuries at the time of his news conference. The debris field stretched a long distance from the impact point. DeSantis praised the quick response of Palm Beach County first responders.

Witnesses provided accounts of the impact. Anthony Blackmon, a nearby resident, said he was about 500 feet from the crash. Debris hit his house, and everything was on fire. The road was also on fire. Blackmon said he had always seen such events on the news but never thought it would happen so close to his home. Roger Forcelle reported that he felt the aircraft pass over his home. The house shook, and the jet crashed less than half a mile from where he lives. He said neighbors came out of their houses because they could feel the shaking.

Andrew Mannino said that he heard and felt the boom. The power immediately went out and was still out. He smelled smoke and saw a large black cloud rise into the air. Another witness described the aftermath as looking like a meteor had hit the ground. Video recorded by people in nearby cars captured the jet plunging from the sky. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater, which was feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the site. Video from WPBF showed the road buckled where the jet struck it.

About 600 people in a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes Sunday night. County officials stated that the crash scene blocks the entrance to the mobile home park. The area is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work. No official has alleged that a crime took place. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores, who represents District 3, said residents were being sent to two county shelters. He stated that the county needed to ensure shelter for the approximately 600 people that night. The Red Cross was standing by, and Palm Tran buses were ready to carry residents once law enforcement allowed the evacuation.

Palm Beach County closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive until further notice. The road remained open only to emergency vehicles. The county instructed drivers to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel. For north-south travel, drivers were told to use Haverhill Road and Kirk Road. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could stay closed for an extended time due to the crater. Officials said the timeline for reopening also depends on the progress of the federal investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. The NTSB said it was launching a go-team on Sunday. Investigators were expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday morning. The NTSB planned a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. No cause for the crash has been determined. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA is sending a team to the scene to support the NTSB's investigation. He asked the public to pray for the families and loved ones of those lost.

Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, said dashcam video will be important to investigators. She stated that the descent was not controlled. At that point, it was clear that, whatever happened, the pilots had lost control of the plane. Schiavo said the steep dive could have torn parts off the plane. A flight recorder could have been destroyed in the explosion. It is not known whether the jet carried a cockpit voice recorder. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry one only when they are flown for hire. Records show the jet was offered for charter flights.

Flight tracking and FAA registry data identify the jet by its registration, N722BD. The FAA registry lists it as a Learjet 60 owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. CNN reported the jet is listed online as available for charter. Officials have not said who operated Sunday's flight. The crash is the deadliest ever involving a Learjet 60, according to Flight Safety Foundation data. In 2008, four people were killed when a Learjet 60 bound for Los Angeles crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina.

NTSB records show this is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year. The first was a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that killed 12 people. Learjet, the brand made famous by Bill Lear's Lear 23 in the 1960s, was most recently built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Bombardier stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but still supports the planes in service. The NTSB issued a safety alert on in-flight icing in January 2024. The alert warned that ice can make managing the airplane's flightpath and airspeed more difficult and can prevent the airplane from maintaining level flight.