Duffy: Learjet 60 headed to Bahamas killed all nine in Palm Beach County crash

A Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a Palm Beach County neighborhood on Sunday, November 1, 2026, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft, which had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it struck near Military Trail in Greenacres. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities in a post on X, calling the incident a "horrific tragedy." The Federal Aviation Administration reported the crash occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The agency said nine people were on board and called its information preliminary.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and said Sunday it was launching a go-team. Investigators were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning. The NTSB scheduled a media briefing in West Palm Beach for Monday. No cause for the crash has been determined. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, identified the jet as a private aircraft. He could not say who was on the flight. Officials had not released the names of the nine people killed or said how many were passengers and how many were crew. "This is definitely a tragedy," Reynolds told the Associated Press.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's officials located the crash site near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. The city of Greenacres has a population of roughly 45,000 and sits about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The crash site is approximately 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 described the event to reporters. "Obviously, this was a cataclysmic plane crash," DeSantis said. "It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road." DeSantis added that there were no reports of ground fatalities or injuries at the time of his news conference. He praised local first responders for their rapid response.

Air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data detail the final moments of the flight. The jet was flying east at an altitude of about 35,000 feet. The pilots reported turbulence, icing, and precipitation to the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center. They requested a climb of 2,000 feet. The pilot noted light, clear ice that was manageable and moderate turbulence. The pilot also reported an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. Turbulence was bouncing the aircraft by as much as 700 feet. The situation deteriorated rapidly after the pilots reported precipitation.

The pilot radioed, "We're descending 8,000, mayday, mayday, we're descending 10,000 feet per minute." The pilot then reported an overspeed condition with a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated, "We're going to crash into the ground." CBS News reported the pilot also said, "We're out of time." The descent rate went as high as 30,000 feet per minute. The jet banked sharply to the right before impacting the ground at a steep angle. The FAA stated the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute. Flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange showed a drop of 27,000 feet in about a minute before data ceased.

Scattered storms were present in the area, and the jet passed through a stronger storm cell shortly before the descent. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET for the area, warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. It is not yet known if weather played a role in the crash. 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. The alert warned that ice can make managing flightpath and airspeed more difficult and can prevent level flight.

Video recorded by people in nearby cars captured the jet plunging from the sky. The aircraft struck near the roadway and exploded. Flames surrounded chunks of pavement lining the crater, which was feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the site. WPBF video showed the road buckled where the jet hit. Anthony Blackmon, a nearby resident, was about 500 feet from the crash. "Debris was everywhere. Debris hit my house. Everything was on fire. The road was on fire," Blackmon told NBC 6. Roger Forcelle said he felt the aircraft pass over his home. "It shook the whole house. It went right over us and crashed probably less than half a mile from where I live," Forcelle said.

Andrew Mannino told CNN he heard and felt the boom. The power went out immediately and remained off. He smelled smoke and saw a large black cloud rise into the air. Another witness described the aftermath as looking like a meteor hit the ground. A woman working nearby said the electricity had been out for about two hours. About 600 people in a nearby mobile home community had 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. No official has alleged a crime occurred. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores, who represents District 3, was the first county official at the scene. "So we have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have shelter tonight," Flores said. The Red Cross was on standby, and Palm Tran buses were ready to transport 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 is open only to emergency vehicles. The county advised drivers to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel. Haverhill Road and Kirk Road were recommended for north-south travel. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could remain closed for an extended time due to the crater. Officials said the timeline also depends on the federal investigation.

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

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 it is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year. A skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June killed 12 people. Learjet is a brand made famous by Bill Lear's Lear 23 with wealthy travelers in the 1960s. Learjets were most recently built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Bombardier stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but still supports the planes in service.