Learjet Plunges Into Palm Beach County Road, Killing All Nine Aboard

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

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine people aboard were killed. The Federal Aviation Administration said the jet crashed at about 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The jet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

The crash site is located near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres. This city of roughly 45,000 residents sits about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The site is about 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 as a cataclysmic plane crash. He told reporters the aircraft appeared to fall like a missile, creating a large crater on the roadside. DeSantis said there were no initial reports of ground casualties, though he noted the debris field covered a wide area. He praised local first responders for their rapid arrival at the scene.

Air traffic control recordings reveal a rapid deterioration in the flight’s status. The pilots were flying east at approximately 35,000 feet when they reported turbulence, icing, and precipitation. They asked to climb 2,000 feet. The pilot told the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center that the ice was light and clear, while the turbulence was moderate. The outside air temperature was reported as minus 47 degrees Celsius.

The situation changed abruptly after the pilots reported precipitation. The pilot radioed that the jet was descending 8,000, then declared a mayday. The descent rate accelerated to 10,000 feet per minute, followed by a report of an overspeed condition at 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated that the aircraft would crash into the ground. CBS News reported that the pilot also said, "We're out of time."

Flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange showed a drop of 27,000 feet in about a minute before the data cut off, CNN reported. The FAA stated the aircraft fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in the final minute of flight. The descent rate reached as high as 30,000 feet per minute, pushing the jet beyond its design limits, the AP reported. The jet banked sharply to the right before striking the ground at a steep angle.

Witnesses in nearby vehicles captured video of 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 cars. Thick black smoke obscured the site. Footage from WPBF showed the road surface buckled where the jet impacted.

Anthony Blackmon, a resident about 500 feet from the crash, said debris hit his house and the road was on fire. He described the scene as something he had only seen in news reports. Roger Forcelle said the aircraft passed over his home, shaking the structure, before crashing less than half a mile away. Andrew Mannino told CNN he heard and felt the boom. He said the power went out immediately and was still out. One onlooker described the aftermath as looking like a meteor strike.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. The agency launched a go-team and expected investigators to arrive on Sunday and Monday. A media briefing is scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach. No cause has been determined. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry a cockpit voice recorder only if they are flown for hire. Records show the jet was offered for charter flights, but it is not known whether the specific aircraft carried the device.

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 a crime occurred. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said residents were being sent to two county shelters. 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. Only emergency vehicles have access to the road. 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 remain closed for an extended period because of the crater, and officials said the timeline also depends on the federal investigation.

The jet, identified by registration N722BD, is listed in FAA records as a Learjet 60 owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. CNN reported the aircraft is listed online as available for charter. Officials have not identified the operator of the Sunday 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.

Scattered storms were present in the area, and the jet passed through a stronger storm cell minutes before the descent. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET, a warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft, for the region. Heavy rain fell across the area on Sunday, and the National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect through Monday afternoon. In January 2024, the NTSB issued a safety alert on in-flight icing, noting that ice can make managing flightpath and airspeed difficult.