Nine Killed as Learjet Plunges Into Palm Beach County Neighborhood

The crash of a private Learjet 60 into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, killed all nine people on board on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute just before the crash, and the descent rate pushed the aircraft beyond its design limits before it struck near a busy roadway in Greenacres.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths in a post on X, describing the event as a horrific tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the crash occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The jet had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, and was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

Air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data provide a timeline of the final moments. The jet was flying east at about 35,000 feet when the pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and asked to climb 2,000 feet. The pilot noted an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. Minutes before the crash, the pilot told the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center there was light, clear ice that was manageable and moderate turbulence. After the pilots reported precipitation and asked to climb, the pilot radioed that the aircraft was in an overspeed condition, descending 20,000 feet per minute.

The pilot stated, "We're going to crash into the ground." CBS News reported that the pilot also said, "We're out of time." The descent rate went from 10,000 to 20,000 and then as high as 30,000 feet per minute. The plane banked sharply to the right before impacting the ground at a steep angle.

The crash site is located near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Sheriff's officials identified the area as Greenacres, a city of about 45,000 residents situated approximately seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The site is roughly four miles south of the West Palm Beach airport, which was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport earlier this year.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and told reporters the crash looked like a missile going down. He noted that the impact left a large crater on the side of the road. DeSantis said there were no reports of ground casualties at the time of his news conference, though he praised local first responders for their rapid reaction.

Video footage from nearby vehicles captured the jet striking near the roadway and exploding. Flames surrounded chunks of pavement in the crater, which was feet from homes and inches from passing traffic. Thick black smoke rose from the site, and the road surface buckled where the jet hit.

Anthony Blackmon, a resident located about 500 feet from the crash site, told NBC 6 that debris hit his house and the road was on fire. Roger Forcelle said the aircraft passed over his home, shaking the structure before crashing less than half a mile away. Andrew Mannino told CNN that he heard a boom, saw a large black cloud, and lost power, which was still out.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators are leading the probe and launched a go-team on Sunday. Investigators were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning, and the NTSB planned a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. The FAA is sending a team to support the NTSB. No cause for the crash has been determined.

Approximately 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes Sunday night. County officials stated that the crash scene blocks the entrance to the park and is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work. No official has alleged that a crime occurred. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said residents are being sent to two county shelters, with the Red Cross standing by.

Palm Tran buses were on standby to transport residents once law enforcement permitted the evacuation. The county closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive to all traffic except emergency vehicles. Drivers were advised to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel and Haverhill Road and Kirk Road for north-south travel.

A county commissioner warned that the road could remain closed for an extended period because of the crater, and officials said the timeline also depends on the federal investigation. The jet, registered as N722BD, is owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. CNN reported the jet is listed online as available for charter. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, confirmed the jet was a private aircraft but could not identify the individuals on board.

Whether the weather played a part has not been determined. The jet passed through a stronger storm cell minutes before the descent began. The area was under a convective SIGMET, a warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. Scattered storms and heavy rain were present in the region, with a National Weather Service flood watch in effect through Monday afternoon.

Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, stated that the descent was not controlled. She noted that the steep dive could have torn parts off the plane and that a flight recorder may have been destroyed in the explosion. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry a cockpit voice recorder only when flown for hire, and records show this jet was offered for charter.

This is the deadliest crash 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. It is the second deadliest aviation accident in the United States this year, following a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that killed 12 people. The Learjet brand, originally made famous by Bill Lear in the 1960s, is now supported by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, which stopped producing new models in 2021.