Learjet Nose-Dives Into Palm Beach County Neighborhood, Killing Nine

Nine people died Sunday when a private business jet nose-dived into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine people aboard were killed and called the crash a "horrific tragedy" in a post on X. The Federal Aviation Administration stated the crash occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The aircraft, a Learjet 60, was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

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 agency planned a media briefing for Monday in West Palm Beach. No cause for the accident has been determined. Officials had not released the names of the victims or the number of passengers versus crew. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Austin airport, identified the jet as a private aircraft. He described the event as a definite tragedy.

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

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and addressed reporters. He described the aircraft as looking like a missile going down. He noted that the impact left a big crater on the side of the road. DeSantis said there were no reports of people on the ground being killed or injured at the time of his news conference. He praised the quick response of local first responders.

Witnesses captured video of the jet plunging from the sky and exploding near the roadway. Flames surrounded chunks of pavement near the crater, which sat feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the area. Footage from WPBF showed the road surface buckled where the jet struck. Anthony Blackmon, a resident about 500 feet away, said debris hit his house and everything was on fire. He stated he had never expected the event to happen so close to him. Roger Forcelle said he felt the aircraft pass over his home and that the whole house shook. He estimated the crash occurred less than half a mile from his residence. Andrew Mannino heard a boom and lost power. He smelled smoke and saw a large black cloud rise.

About 600 people in a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes Sunday night, county officials said. 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 a crime took place. County Commissioner Joel Flores, who represents District 3, said residents were being sent to two county shelters. He said the Red Cross was standing by. Palm Tran buses were ready to transport residents once law enforcement allowed the evacuation.

The county closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive until further notice. Only emergency vehicles were allowed access. Officials advised drivers to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel. They recommended Haverhill Road and Kirk Road for north-south travel. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could remain closed for an extended time due to the crater. The timeline also depends on the federal investigation.

Air traffic control recordings show the jet was flying east at about 35,000 feet. The pilots reported turbulence, icing, and precipitation. They requested a climb of 2,000 feet. Minutes before the crash, the pilot told the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center that they had light, clear ice that was manageable and moderate turbulence. The pilot reported an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. Turbulence was bouncing the jet by as much as 700 feet. After reporting precipitation, the situation changed rapidly.

The pilot radioed that they were descending 8,000 and declared a mayday. The pilot said they were descending 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated they were in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot then said they were going to crash into the ground. CBS News reported the pilot also said they were out of time. The descent rate reached as high as 30,000 feet per minute. This pushed the jet beyond its design limits. The plane banked sharply to the right before hitting the ground at a steep angle. The FAA said 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 cut off.

Scattered storms were in the area. The jet passed through a stronger storm cell a few minutes before the descent began. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET warning of thunderstorms in that region. Heavy rain fell across the area Sunday. 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. It warned that ice can make managing the airplane's flightpath and airspeed more difficult.

Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst, said dashcam video will be important to investigators. She stated that the descent was not controlled. She said it was clear the pilots had lost control of the plane. The steep dive could have torn parts off the aircraft. A flight recorder could have been destroyed in the explosion. It is not known whether 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 jet is registered as 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 said who operated Sunday's flight. This is the deadliest crash ever involving a Learjet 60, according to Flight Safety Foundation data. In 2008, four people died when a Learjet 60 bound for Los Angeles crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. NTSB records show this is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year. A skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June killed 12 people. Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturer, stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but still supports planes in service.