Nine killed in Learjet crash in Palm Beach County
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed all nine passengers died after the plane crashed near Military Trail in West Palm Beach.
By Andrew Hayes ·
A business jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in South Florida on Sunday, killing everyone on board.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on X that all nine people aboard the Learjet 60 were killed in the incident. The crash occurred at 12:50 p.m. in Palm Beach County.
The aircraft was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to the Bahamas. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Austin airport, identified the plane as a private jet with the tail number N722BD. Reynolds described the event as a definite tragedy but could not immediately provide details on the passengers.
Witnesses captured video of the plane plunging from the sky and striking near a busy roadway before exploding into a fireball. The crash site was located near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. Flames surrounded chunks of pavement in the resulting crater, while thick black smoke rose from the area. People nearby expressed shock that the plane landed feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and urged drivers to avoid the area. Emergency personnel and firefighters rushed to the scene to manage the situation. A woman working nearby reported that electricity in the area had been out for approximately two hours following the impact. It remained unclear if the crash caused damage to nearby homes.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration sent a team to support that investigation. Authorities had not yet determined what caused the jet to go down or identified the individuals on the flight.
