Nine Killed in Learjet Crash: Jet Plunges 27,000 Feet Into Palm Beach County Neighborhood

All nine people aboard a private Learjet 60 were killed on Sunday, November 1, when the aircraft crashed into a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the jet struck the ground at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as a "horrific tragedy" in a post on X. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation and said Sunday it was launching a go-team, with investigators expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning.

The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. Its intended destination was North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The FAA said nine people were on board and called its information preliminary. Officials have not released their names or said how many were passengers and how many were crew. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Austin airport, said the jet was a private aircraft and could not say who was on the flight. "This is definitely a tragedy," he said.

The crash site is located near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres. Greenacres is a city with a population of roughly 45,000, situated about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The site lies approximately four miles south of the local airport, which was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport earlier this year. CNN reported that President Donald Trump left that airport on Air Force One a little more than an hour before the crash.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and told reporters the crash was "cataclysmic." He described the aircraft as looking like a missile and noted it left a large crater near the road. DeSantis stated there were no reports of ground casualties at the time of his news conference. He praised the quick response of Palm Beach County first responders and said the debris field stretched a long distance.

Air traffic control recordings provide a detailed account of the minutes before the impact. The jet was flying east at an altitude of about 35,000 feet when pilots reported encountering turbulence, icing, and precipitation. The pilot requested a climb of 2,000 feet and reported "light, clear ice" and moderate turbulence. The outside air temperature was recorded at minus 47 degrees Celsius. The jet was experiencing turbulence that caused vertical movements of up to 700 feet.

The situation deteriorated rapidly after the initial reports. The pilot radioed: "We're descending 8,000, mayday, mayday, we're descending 10,000 feet per minute." The descent rate went from 10,000 feet per minute to 20,000 and then as high as 30,000 feet per minute, the AP reported. The pilot stated, "We are in an overspeed condition." The pilot also said, "We're going to crash into the ground." CBS News reported that the pilot added, "We're out of time." The aircraft banked sharply to the right before striking the ground at a steep angle.

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed a drop of 27,000 feet in approximately one minute before the data connection was lost. The FAA confirmed the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in the final minute of flight. The AP reported that the descent rate pushed the jet beyond its design limits. Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the U.S. Transportation Department, said the steep dive could have torn parts off the plane. She stated that the descent was not controlled, indicating the pilots had lost control of the aircraft.

Video recorded by people in nearby cars captured the jet plunging from the sky, striking near the roadway and exploding, the AP reported. Flames were visible around chunks of pavement near the crater, which was located feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the site. Video from WPBF showed the road buckled where the jet hit it. A woman working nearby reported that the electricity had been out for about two hours following the crash.

Residents described the event in vivid detail. Anthony Blackmon, who was about 500 feet from the crash, said debris hit his house and that the road was on fire. He stated, "I've always seen it on the news, never thought it would happen so close to somebody like how it happened today." Roger Forcelle felt the aircraft pass over his home and said the house shook. He estimated the crash occurred less than half a mile from his residence. Andrew Mannino heard a boom and felt the power go out immediately. He smelled smoke and saw a large black cloud rise into the air. Another witness compared the scene to a meteor hitting the ground.

About 600 residents in a nearby mobile home community were forced to leave their homes on Sunday night. The crash scene blocks the entrance to the mobile home park and is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work, county officials said. 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. The Red Cross was on standby, and Palm Tran buses were prepared to transport residents once law enforcement authorized the evacuation.

Local officials closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive to all traffic except emergency vehicles. The county advised drivers 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 parts of the road could stay closed for an extended time because of the crater. Officials said the timeline also depends on the federal investigation.

Weather conditions in the region included scattered storms and a convective SIGMET, a warning for thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. The jet passed through a stronger storm cell a few minutes before it began to descend, CNN reported. The National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect through Monday afternoon due to heavy rain. In January 2024, the NTSB issued a safety alert regarding in-flight icing, warning that ice can prevent an airplane from maintaining level flight. It is not yet determined if the weather played a role in the crash.

The aircraft, identified by registration N722BD, is listed in FAA records as a Learjet 60 owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. CNN reported the jet is listed online as available for charter. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry a cockpit voice recorder only if they are flown for hire. It is not known if this specific flight was operating for hire or if a recorder was aboard. The crash is the deadliest ever involving a Learjet 60, according to Flight Safety Foundation data. In 2008, four people died when a Learjet 60 crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. NTSB records show it is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year, following a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that killed 12 people.